


A Thousand Years

by elcapitan_rogers



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Major Character Death in Chapter 4, One Shot Collection, in chapter 13
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2018-04-14 10:50:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 27,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4561731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elcapitan_rogers/pseuds/elcapitan_rogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One shot collection of Steve and Natasha.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving on with our lives

**Author's Note:**

> No beta read. I'm so sorry

She was planning to disappear like she told Steve and Sam at the cemetery. All of her cover was blown and exposed to the public. All of her deep dark past was out in the light. Part of her that she wanted to hide from everyone.

Especially, Steve.

She didn't know why she felt the need to hide her past from Steve. Even though all the thing they been through together the past week, maybe she wasn't ready yet.

She was packing things up at her apartment when she found a SHIElD book. She opened it and found the picture of Margaret Carter at the first few pages of that book. She knew exactly who she was when she asked Steve. She just wanted to see his reaction and she was regret it. He didn't answer her in the form of verbal answer but a pure pain of his face.

Natasha picked up a phone and called someone.

"Hey, Sharon. I need a favor and some answers to some questions"

* * *

Natasha had a plan and her second part of the plan was to get the good captain. She went to his apartment. She found the captain was dosing off on his coach with a Marvin Grey's song playing.

"Steve, dressed up! There is someone I want you to meet" She shook his arms

Steve stirred and saw who that was "Please tell me that it's not that agent you told me. What's her name again? Kristen?"

"Noooo" Natasha replied, obviously annoyed "Just do as I told you"

"Yes, ma'am"

He got up and went to his bedroom to get dress. He was curious as of why Natasha was here when she said she will be disappear. He felt a shape pain when she told him that. Their relationship was just started to develop and now she was about to be on her own.

He was glad that she decided to appear this evening. He didn't know why but he felt safe with just her appearance, not physically but mentally.

He needed her more than he know.

"Sharon and I worked really hard on this so...yeah...we have a little surprise for you" Natasha told

"Why are you here?" That's all he managed to get the words out of his mouth

"I say I have a plan for you…"

"Why are you here, Natasha? You say you will be gone"

"I have something important to do before I go"

 _Don't leave!_  Steve said loudly in his mind "I wish you will stay here" He said "There is no need for you to find your new identity, Nat. You can just be Natasha Romanoff. You can be you"  _Be only you for me_ , He added

"I wanted too but it's not how I live"

"Whatever you decided to do, you know you always have your place here"

"Thanks, Steve" She smiled fully at him, not just her devilish smirk "Now, we better get going. I don't want you to be late for your own date"

* * *

Natasha took him to a small quiet bar which caught Steve by surprise when he saw it. It looked exactly like the bar in the 40's. She pushed him into the bar and then he saw someone very familiar.

"Nat, you are planning this?"

"Yes, I am" Natasha said proudly "You still owe her a dance"

"How.."

"Sharon told me"

"Sharon? The girl you try to set me up?"

"Yeah…"

"Now she's Peggy's niece. I don't want to date her"

Natasha sighed and they stopped in front of Peggy. Steve smiled at his first love.

"Steve" Peggy weakly called him, arm shaken as she reach out for him "Steve, it's been so long"

"I know, Peggy" He replied "I'm here now as I am still owe you a dance"

"I don't know if I can do that"

"I can try"

Sharon and Steve helped Peggy got up and Steve took her in his arms gently and carried all her weight with him.

"May I have this dance with you, ma'am?" Steve asked

"Of course" Peggy said and smiled.

Steve took them on the floor and be careful when he moved both of them around. Peggy hugged him to make sure that he was real and he was really here with her.

They danced for a little while when Peggy began to feel tried. He took her back to her wheel chair. Peggy grabbed his hand

"Move on, Steve. You have your new life await of you"

"You know you always in my heart, Peggy"

"Me too"

"Your future is in front of you" She said and turned her head to the direction that Natasha and her niece, Sharon Carter were standing, talking to one another.

His future was in front of him and he had to choose.

* * *

The morning soon arrived, Steve woke up to the cold emptiness of his bed. He couldn't find her in his bed. The woman he fall asleep with her in his arms. He hated this, hate this emptiness. He thought he found the one, the right partner he always looking for, the one that completed him.

He thought she feel the same. After everything, after last night they had together. After he specifically begged her not to let them go.

He looked out the window and sighed.

Maybe she didn't want to complicate things between them any further.

But the thought was soon vanquished as he started to notice something in his room. Her black

leather jacket was still hung on the chair, her phone on the end table, her boots still laid on the floor but his leather jacket was gone and his closet was opened, surely one of his shirt must gone too.

He just had a separation anxiety.

And he saw a note she left on the mirror.

_At the rooftop_

Steve found himself smiling, got up and get dress before climbing the fire escape to meet her.

She was looking at the sun slowly rise up from the horizon. She wrapped herself in her white shirt and leather jacket. It did look really nice on her. Steve walked up to her, made sure he made some noise to not startled her and got himself kill.

"Hey" He greeted before wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Morning" She gently replied back and gave him a soft smile that over made his heart fluttered.

"I thought you were gone" he confessed, held her a little tighter.

"I thought last night I already told you everything, Steve"

"I'm just afraid of losing someone again even for the short time" He said "After New York, everyone move on and have someone on their side. I was alone in this new era, no one to come home to, until the day you suddenly back in my life"

He could hear her hummed with pleasure.

"I know I wasn't alone anymore. I may not have all my friend back but at least I have you"

She turned to him, beautiful green eyes looked right in his baby blue one.  _She was so beautiful._

"And you always have me with you, Steve"

They both exchanged a bright smile before he pulled her closer, examined her before he noticed something

"I'm notice that you stop wearing that necklace"

The arrow necklace he saw her wear it everyday even when they were on a mission.

"It's time to move on, Steve" She smiled sheepishly but never broke the eyes contact "You move on from 1940 and I move on from Budapest"

"I'm glad to hear that"

"Maybe...we could start fresh together"

"I really like the sound of that"

"I love you, Steven Rogers"

"I love you too, Natasha Romanoff"


	2. Coming Home

Well, she had been watching, or rather observing Steve Rogers or Captain America's love life for a while now. She found that he wasn't interest in anyone, like at all. They had been partner for SHEILD mission for a while and she took the liberty of finding him a date.

Before everything went straight down to hell, SHIELD was gone. HYDRA arose. Everyone disappeared even the great Black Widow had to disappear too. All of her cover, aliases, and her deep dark past were all out in the public.

After she handed Steve that file about his friend, Bucky Barnes, she was hoping that he will ask her to stay but she knew him too damn well that he respected her enough to let her make her own decision.

"Do me a favor. Call that nurse"

"She's not a nurse"

"And you're not a SHEILD agent"

"What's her name again?"

"Sharon. She's nice"

They were parted. He didn't even try to find her or anything. She guessed he was doing alright in finding Bucky with Sam. She was traveling around the world, establishing her new persona. It was almost six months not hearing anything from Steve.  _It's hurt too, you know?_  She thought that he was care for her enough to check in. She got to admit that she kinda had a feeling for him and that he was important to her.

She made a mistake running away from him. She was afraid that he might not feel the same. He was already friend zoning her with that question of his  _'How about friends?'_  Seriously, Rogers.  _A friend?_  After the brief kiss on the escalator that apparently sent an electronic shock down her spine from the very moment that their lips touched.  _And he wanted to be friend with her?_

She knew that he must feel something too but then again, he was too naive in romantic field to notice anything.

The point is Maria contacted her and informed that the Avengers were assemble again and almost everyone was at the new Avengers Tower in New York. She did asked about everyone before asking that Steve was there.

"Yes, Romanoff. He's here" Maria confirmed "But he looked miserable, you know? I never see him smile for once since he came here. Oh! And he asked about you a lot and Wilson is here too"

That's all she needed to here. Her boys were back.

Stark was generous enough to send her his private jet. Even he and Pepper were there to pick her up at the airport and brought her back home. It was too early for anyone to wake up and greet her anyway so she might not find anyone at all.

When she arrived, the first thing, the first person she saw was the only one she wanted to see all this time,  _her Captain_. She forget how early bird he was and now he was in the kitchen, making some breakfast for himself. He heard footsteps and he looks up at the three of them.

Steve Rogers was looking at her, looking at her like he wasn't believe she was really there but he broke out a big smile. His mouth was trying to say something but it fail him so he walked to her, slowly, eyes searching every inch of her body.

"Nat" That's all he can say to her after all this time

"Hey" She replied back.

What was coming next isn't what she was expected. Steve pulled her into his embraced and hugged her tightly she thought her back will break but the warmth from his body enveloped her with the same safety so she relax and returned the hug.

"I missed you so much, Nat" He murmured

"I missed you too, Steve" She replied

"Don't leave me again. Don't leave us again, okay?" He quickly said

Natasha broke off the embrace to look at him. She could see that he really means what he said so she let out a little smile.

"If I now you need me this much, I wouldn't leave you"

Steve's face went deep red "Uh—I'm sorry. I—just" He stammered, rubbed his head awkwardly but the voice from the stairs broke the silence between them.

"He didn't stop whining about you leaving him, Natasha" It was Sam and Clint at his side.

"Yeah, Cap just can't stop talking about you, Nat" The archer confirmed

The spy smiled "If you called me and tell me you need me back, you know I would come back to you, right?"

"I know but I wasn't sure that you want to do the soul searching first before come back to us or you're feeling the same way…" Steve stopped when he realized he was saying something he's not supposed to say 'I'm sorry"

Steve looked really adorable when he was blushing like this. Natasha wrapped her arms around his neck and tiptoed before placed her lips on his.

"I kinda feel that way too" She murmured against his lips

"That way." He frowned "Like you just want to kiss me—"

Natasha shut him up by kissing him again. Tony mocked puking at the back while Sam and Clint just whistled. Pepper squealed with joy

"Welcome home, Nat" Steve whispered and kissed her some more.


	3. Their Day Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Romanogersstasha : A very fluffy clingy Romanogers

"Where are they?!" Tony asked loudly "This is supposed to be our group movie marathon day!"

"Tony, this is their first day off from SHIELD in like….forever!" Pepper reminded her boyfriend as she sat down on the couch. "They need sometime alone"

"They need some sexy time alone" Tony corrected "It troubled me…how can they have any stamina left after that mission anyway?"

"Can we not talk about this?" Bruce quietly chimed in

"You know when they came back from a long mission like this they prefer to just stay in their room alone" Clint said

* * *

**_Meanwhile at Steve_ ** **_'s Floor_ **

"Steve, we gotta get some breakfast" Natasha said as she tries to wiggle out of his hold.

Steve shook his head, held his grip tighter as he kissed down the smooth expand of her back, sending another wave of pleasure down her spine.

"I seriously mean it, soldier" She turned to him but he captured her full lips with his and Natasha was melted under his touch.

His kiss filled with lust and passion. His deep dark desire just for her. His invasion was heading down to her neck and his hands were all over her.

"Steve…"

"Stay with me in bed" He murmured against her skin before suckling at the soft skin of her neck, making Nat moaned.

"We already did it three times already and I'm really hungry"

He sighed and stopped whatever he was doing to her "Fineeee" He kissed at her pulse point one more time and removed his arms from her.

She kissed him on the lips "Take a shower. I will make some breakfast"

He pouted and Natasha took a mental how cute he was "I want you in the shower with me"

"No, you will have me again after you take a shower, soldier"

"Fair deal" He said and got out of his bed "Well, my deal is still open if you change your mind"

Natasha got up to her soldier and slapped his ass and put on her black and red robe. Steve teased her again by pulling it down her shoulders, kissing the nape of her neck. Nat had to elbow him to push him away.

"Enough" She hissed but she knew her voice was weak. Damn him.

He sighed and let go off her before heading to the bathroom. Natasha adjusted her rope on more time and began to prepare their breakfast.

He finally came back and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and began to invade her body with his soft kiss on her neck. Well, he always act like this when they got a day off and Steve Rogers can be a very clingy boyfriend. A cute clingy boyfriend by the way.

"What are you cooking?"

"Your favorite pancake"

"How could I not love you, Nat? I got the best girl with me"

"Glad to know that you know that you are lucky"

"The luckiest"

Steve helped her prepare their breakfast by making coffee and some tea for her. She was currently into some exotic Chinese tea.

They started off their day off perfectly with a perfect little activity in bed in which Steve woke her up with him going down on her. Now the perfect breakfast. When Natasha finished it she went to take a shower and Steve was googling something on the internet.

He just wanted to find some interesting thing for them to do but the bad news is that, if you were in a relationship as long as he and Natasha was, they already tried everything.

"Baby, what do you think about we just spend the day lay low inside the tower?" Steve asked as he heard the footsteps.

"I don't know." She said

"We can stay in bed" He said suggestively. His eyes sparkled.

"No, we will stay in bed again after 10 pm" She said

"We can do on the couch"

"Steve…" Natasha sighed

"The bath?"

"NOO" She said "Stop thinking about sex! We can just…..I seriously couldn't think of anything new for us to do"

 _"The team is at the living room for a movie marathon if you like to join them, ma_ _'am_ _"_  JARVIS chimed in

Steve looking at her for the answer because he was okay with whatever she wants to do.

"Looks like we have to join with our friends" Natasha sighed and took his hand.

They walked down to the living area to find everyone was watching some romantic comedy movie. Natasha quickly dragged Steve and sat down in front of the couch that Clint, Bobbi and Darcy currently occupied.

"Glad you guys can joy us" Tony said "I guess you guys ran out of things to do in bed together"

"I'm not done. She is" Steve mumbled and Natasha pinched his arms "Ouch"

"We will continue our business together tonight." Natasha said

"I don't need to hear it, Nat" Clint told

"Me too" Bruce chimed in

But the couple didn't pay any attention to their friends or the movie on the TV. They were making out with one another that Pepper needed to cough to let they knew that everyone was really uncomfortable with their public display of affection.

"Please go back to your room" Tony said when they finally broke away from one another.


	4. Traitor

"Captain Rogers has been captured" Victoria Hand informed Director Fury "Sadly as it sound, but it turned out that the last remaining HYDRA sleeper agent is the Black Widow"

"It cannot be" Coulson said "She's an Avenger"

"She is HYDRA, Phil." Hand confirmed "And she is the one that handed Captain America to Baron Strucker"

"Send everyone we had in. Just get Rogers out of there. We will deal with Romanoff later" Fury gave an order.

The two senior agents nodded and left the room immediately.

"Hill, tell Stark and Banner to prepare the med-bay. We don't know how bad Rogers' situation was"

"Yes, sir"

Coulson and his team led the strike with an army of SHIELD agents and Victoria Hand oversee the whole operation. Coulson was able to help Captain America out the containment cell that HYDRA put him in. They secure the Captain with multiple magnetic restrainers and a mist of sedative flow through the air vent.

They were able to help Steve out of the cell when the Black Widow was standing, guarding the way out.

"Move, Natasha or I have to kill you"

Natasha chuckled "You think you really can do that, Phil."

"How could you do this to us, to him? We were friends!"

"No, SHIELD is one of my mark"

"Don't bother talking to this traitor, Coulson" May interrupted "I will hold her off"

Coulson and Triplett took Steve out of the cell while May held Natasha off

"The Black Widow and the Cavalry, huh?" Natasha spoke up

"Never call me that"

* * *

"Tell me again, Fury. How could you let this happened?" Tony asked

"I already told you, Stark. I sent Rogers and Romanoff in for a mission"

"I mean how you could not know that Romanoff is a HYDRA!"

"She helped me, Hill, Wilson and Rogers take down HYDRA. How will you tell that she is a traitor when she help you taking it down?"

"She is a damn good liar" Tony muttered angrily

_She was one of his closest friends. She was Pepper's best friend. She was an Avenger. She was one of them._

"I know you are angry at her, Stark but there's nothing we can do"

"There's one thing we can do, Fury." Tony said "Kill her"

"We don't know that she really is a traitor"

"She betrayed Steve. She betrayed us. She tortured him! Look at what she'd done, Fury!"

The elevator rang and the rest of the Avengers and their friends walked toward the two men. They all could sense the tension. Clint, Thor, Jane, Darcy, Pepper, and Rhodey were looking at them.

"What's the update?" Clint ask

"I'm sorry to inform you, Avengers but the Black Widow appeared to be the traitor in our rank and she's a HYDRA sleeper agent"

"It cannot be" Clint grasped

"It's the truth, Barton" Tony confirmed

"How should we inform the captain?" Thor asked "Eventually, he will know"

"You can go ahead and tell him, Fury. That his wife is the one who get him capture and torture him. But don't forget that she betrays him"

* * *

It took Steve three days to finally wake up but the wounds and bruises weren't healed properly. There's still a red mark on his torso with a sharp of hourglass, the Black Widow symbol. The mark that clearly identified the torturer.

"Slow down, Captain. You're still injure"

"Where's Natasha?" The first question he asked sent everyone in the room into silent. Steve could notice everyone uncomfortable gesture so he asked again "Where is my wife?!"

Everything ran passed Steve's mind. He was afraid that she will badly injure or captured. The mission went south and they were both captured. He could remember only a very faint memory of Natasha standing over him with a gun in her hand.

"Captain, she…Natasha…"

"She's what, Fury?"

"She betrayed us" Fury replied

"I don't believe you"

"She's the last HYDRA sleeper agent in SHIELD. The perfect mole among us. She's the one who torture you and leave you that big wound on your torso"

Fury went on and on and gave Steve every detail of how his betrayed wife deceived and lied and tortured him while he was under HYDRA's captive. Fitz and Simmons were able to get some important data and video feed from the prison, a proof that the Black Widow is a traitor.

It was the most heartbreaking screen anyone had ever seen. The Captain listened in complete silence as tear forming in his blue eyes.

"I will go find her"

"Stop right there, Captain. We are regrouping right now and waiting for the chance to strike back again."

"I will kill her myself"

"I want you to capture her for a proper punishment"

But it's all in Steve's eyes. Anger and pain. The string of betrayal by the love of his life.

"Remember my words, Fury. I will kill her myself next time I see her"

* * *

Steve went off on his own. No one knew where he went but Tony Stark knew the Captain too well. He slipped a tracker on the Captain's uniform.

"Steve, you knew better than to hunt down HYDRA alone" A familiar voice sounded behind him.

Steve didn't reply but threw his shield at the voice. She quickly dodged. Steve found himself surrounded by HYDRA soldiers. He could finish them all but the only one he really to deal with right now was the woman standing in front of him.

"I didn't come here for them." Captain America replied "I will kill you myself"

"Oh, sweetheart. That's the biggest mistake you made yet"

"You are my biggest mistake, Natasha" He coldly said.

"Boys! I prefer him alive. HYDRA still need his blood for the experiment"

HYDRA soldier attacked Steve but the Captain was able to fend them off without any problem. The only problem was they kept coming. Endless wave of enemy and Natasha grew impatient. She finally got a window of opportunity and shot her widow bite which sent Steve to the ground long enough for the HYDRA agents to secure him with magnetic cuff.

"I promise you one thing, Widow. I will kill you myself"

"Sedate him" She ordered and walked away.

* * *

Steve woke up again. He found himself in a containment room, secured by magnetic restrainers at his neck, wrists, waist, and ankles. He saw Natasha sitting across the room. Her green eyes locked at his face.

"You used to love to tie me down like this in our bed" He spoke up "But I guess you remember none of that"

"Steve…"

"Remember when you say you love me? Remember when we first kiss? DO YOU REMEMBER ANY OF THAT?" He bellowed and made her winced.

"I remember all of it. It's all mean a lot to me"

"When you say you love me, did you really mean it or it just a plan to completely had my heart in your hand so you can do whatever you want with me later?"

"Steve, I need you to trust me"

"Why do I have to trust you, Romanoff? After all, it was nothing but a lie you told us. Do you really love me or I'm just another mark for your grand plan with HYDRA?"

"I done all of this because of a reason"

"I don't want to know. I don't want to see you anymore because the next time I see you, I will kill you with my own hands. You will pay for what you have done, traitor"

Natasha turned away from Steve and walked away from the man she love, tried really hard to hide her tears.

* * *

Steve slipped in and out of his consciousness because of the sedative HYDRA gave him. He lose track of the time. Then he heard an explosive and then the door to his cell. Tony and Clint walked in and helped him out from the restrainer.

"Hey guys" Steve said weakly

"Cap, hold on. We're here to help you" Clint said

"I will inject you with a antidote. It will help you get back in fight" Tony told and injected the said antidote at Steve's neck.

The antidote kicked in and Steve was able to get on his own feet. Clint handed him the comm.

"Let's go" Tony said

"I have to deal with her"

"Steve, this place was about to explode"

"I have to kill her by myself"

They knew it was the only thing in Steve's mind right now but Fury ordered them to capture Natasha alive.

Steve ran to the main lobby where he saw Natasha was battling with Agent May. Natasha got the upper hand when Steve intervened.

"I'm the man of my word, Romanoff"

"I'm sorry, Steve"

"Save you word, Natasha. It's just another lie"

He didn't listen to any of her word anymore. He charged in. Their fight was predictive and almost choreographic. They knew how one another would move and quickly countered their move. It was endless fight. After many years of fighting together, working together and spent everyday of their life together.

There's only a draw.

Steve adapted her fighting style and landed a low blow the way he never did before on her body, sending Natasha on the ground and he pinned down by her throat.

"Goodbye, Natasha" He said and squeezed his hand tightly

She was struggled, did every way she could to make him let go of her. Steve was angry and caught up in the sweet revenge as he saw the life slowly left her body.

She grasped out his name "Steve…" One hand pointed behind him.

Steve quickly turned around and he saw a RPG coming his way. His instinct kicked in as he raised his shield and pulled her into his embrace and protected them from the incoming attack. The impact force was enough to send Steve flying across the room.

Two HYDRA soldiers held Natasha up and took her out of the fight scene when the Captain slowly raised up and fought off the incoming wave of enemies. He was surrounded again. Natasha could see that one sniper was on the second floor and was aiming at Steve.

She ran as fast as he can, yelling his name and told he to look out. Steve didn't hear her. The shot fired and Natasha jumped in and took three shots for him. He body fell thud to the ground while Steve finished off the remaining enemies and rushed to her side.

"She did all of this to save your life, captain. She's bargaining her allegiance to HYDRA for your life when we first capture both of you" Baron Strucker's voice came from the second floor "But you seemed not to trust her enough and look what it cost you now"

Steve didn't care to chase after the villain but held Natasha in his arms, trying very hard to stop the bleeding.

"Tony! come here." Steve yelled to the comm "Nat is injured"

_"On my way!"_

"Stay with me, Nat. Don't leave me" The Captain said "I'm so sorry."

Natasha shook her head and raised her hand to his face.

"If it was…down to me to save your life" She stopped and coughed with blood out from her mouth "would you trust me to do it?"

"I would now" He replied and began to cry.

She smiled before slowly closed her eyes. Steve shook her body, yelling at the top of his lung and broke down


	5. Neighbors and Their Pets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a post I saw on Tumblr. No proofreading, Sorry.   
> (AU where they were just a normal people living next door.)

Steve adopted his one year old golden retriever from the local shelter with his girlfriend Sharon Carter who was now official ended her relationship with him. Well, they didn't adjust well together at all. They hoped that adopting a dog could help save their relationship.

But it ended anyway. The only problem was he was previously in love with her older sister, Peggy Carter before she died from car accident three years ago. Sharon helped him through the hard time and eventually ended up falling in love.

She moved out one month after they adopted 'Buster'. She took all her stuff and left Steve with his heartbreak. They were dating for almost two years, Steve thought as he sunk himself down on the couch in his living room. Buster jumped up to join him and rested its head on his laps and quietly whined.

"Yeah, I know it suck, buddy." He patted its head gently and drank his beer.

The door to his house busted open loudly and a tall black man walked in.

"Dude, it been a week! You didn't even show up at the museum. Your boss had been asking me about your absence. You better get yourself together before you get fired, Rogers." Sam yelled at his friend "Move on, bro!"

"I'm in a mood of doing nothing." Steve replied.

"You should take Buster for a run. It's getting fat." Sam noted "She's gone, Steve. You have to accept that"

"I know."

They were silenced for another minute when Steve decided to get up and stretch.

"I will take him for a run." Steve said and headed to change his clothed in his bedroom

He came down with a leash and hooked it with Buster's color. He hugged his dog lovingly before led the dog out of this house. Steve inhaled the air and began his run. They both jogged down the street of the neighborhood. Steve wasn't pay much attention of anything and he was surprised that he wasn't got hit by a car.

He noticed something red hair and small figure flew pass him but he didn't catch a glimpse of his/her face. But what caught his attention was his own dog, it stopped in its track and pulled him to stop too. Then Buster began to bark and run to the direction of their home.

"Wait, Buster! Stop!" Steve shouted but his dog didn't listen and ran quickly.

They almost reached their home when Buster decided to stop at the house next to them and began to bark loudly.

"Hey, calm down." Steve knelt down and rubbed his dog gently "Keep it down, Buster. You don't want to disturb the neighbor."

Buster swing his tail eagerly and looked at the house. Steve began to walk and the dog followed him.

* * *

"There is some dog barking outside your house, Tasha." Maria said as she looked out the window and saw a tall blonde guy knelt dog next to his dog. "Well, hello, gorgeous."

"What?" Natasha shouted from the kitchen where saw was trying to prepare their food.

The redhead ran and joined her friend but it was too late and he was gone.

"You just missed one gorgeous man, Tash."

"Nah, I'm not interesting in dating right now." The redhead said "I just moved here for a month now and still not settle in."

"It takes time but at least you and I finally live in the same city again."

"Yeah, it was like a million year since high school."

Maria Hill was Natasha's best friend since childhood. They grew up together in the same small town in Michigan. They went separate way after high school and now they lived in New York together again.

"Hey, Truffles seem to like soaking up the sun." Maria mentioned Nat's cat laying on the window sill.

"Yeah, she loves to do that every day."

Truffles was a black and white American shorthair. Nat loved her fat cat so much and even let Truffles sleep on her bed during the night too.

"There is something more than cat in your life, Nat."

"I will try to get back in dating game as soon as I can, Maria."

* * *

Steve began to notice something odds about his dog. It was a month after the incident. Steve always found his dog starring out the window to the house next door like three times a day, every single day.

He noticed this because Buster entered his art studio without permission. But the day after the incident, Buster ran into the room and put its paws on the railing of the window. From that day, Steve began to get used to have his dog inside the studio with him.

Buster didn't cause any trouble. He just stood their quietly, swung his tell rapidly.

Steve got up from his seat and walked to the window to find out what caused a sudden interest in Buster. He looked outside, trying to spot anything that could make his dog…well…acted like he was completely falling in love.

His neighbor indeed had a very beautiful lawn. He saw someone wearing a bonnet knelt down at the rose bush. That must be the owner of the house. His eyes slowly moved from spot to spot until her found the source because Buster was now starring at it.

It was the black and white American shorthair sitting at the window sill. Steve looked at Buster again and its eyes filled with sheer devotion and love.

He walked back to his table with a smile on his face.

_Damn, his dog was falling in love with a cat._

* * *

It's been going on for three months when Steve noticed something about his dog had changed. Buster was still coming to his studio and looking out the window. But now he started to bark once everytime and turned back and walked out the room. He followed it out and saw Buster lay down on his spot near the door, looking so sad it was heartbreaking.

Then it began to constantly whine like it was wounded. Steve knew his dog was now dealing with a terrible heartache that he need to help Buster. Steve observed the house next door closely to that there was any changed or not.

He looked at the window that the cat was always sitting there to soaking up the sun. It was now had large potted plants there, blocking the view of the cat.

The owner must have planted it there. Well, he/she had did a very good job with the garden. It was beautiful than the last time he saw it.

Steve began to write a letter to his neighbor. It must've sound silly for sure but he gotta help Buster in every way he can.

_"Dear, Neighbor_

_This is going to seem ridiculous, but I thought you should know that my dog (a giant golden retriever who lives next door with me) is madly in love with your cat…and has been for probably three months now. Three times a day, he put his paws on the railing to look at him/her in your window sill. Now that you have potted plants there, he is heartbroken…but keeps looking for your cat every day. Maybe your plants could switch to a different window?_

_From,_

_Your neighbor + his adoring dog"_

Steve walked out of his house to the house next door and stuck the paper on the door before quickly got back to his house. When he opened the door, Buster stood there and waiting for him.

"You make me turn into creepy person to the neighbor."

* * *

Steve was preparing to go for a morning run with Buster when the bell rang the next morning. He opened the door and his eyes widened when he saw the most beautiful woman he ever see in his entire life standing in front of him.

She had a fiery red hair matching her pricing green eyes and silky smooth skin. She was small but he could notice that she must have work out a lot to keep in shape.

"Hi…" He could get only one word out of his mouth.

"So you are my creepy neighbor and his lovesick dog?" She asked and showed him the letter before looking at the dog behind him.

"Yes, I am. Sorry to put it like that but Buster has been heartbroken and I need to help him."

She gave him a soft smile, "It's okay. I totally don't mind even it sound a little silly."

"I'm Steve by the way."

"Natasha." She replied and shook hand with him.

"Want to come inside." Steve offered. His face was redden. "A cup of coffee?"

"I'm thinking about moving my potter plant somewhere else" She said "Might could use a hand though."

"Would be my pleasure, ma'am" Steve smiled "Can I bring Buster with me?"

"Of course, Truffles would love to meet him."

* * *

Steve helped Natasha move her plants from the window. At the same time, Buster was getting acquainted with Truffles. They ended up spending all day at Natasha's house. Steve was helping her with her garden and they both strangely talked and opened themselves up the way they never did with anyone this fast.

It became everyday routine for them to go for a run every morning with their pets. They may stop for a cup of coffee before walked back home. Nat had her breakfast at Steve's and he had his dinner at Nat's.

Steve asked her to go steady with him after a month. They kept their relationship a secret until one day, the couple decided to stay in rather than handing out with their friends as usual.

Sam was furiously rang the bell at Steve's door because he set him up for a date tonight but Steve didn't return his call. Meanwhile, Maria was heading to Nat's house to pick her up for a party at the club downtown.

"Are you forgetting your key or something?" Maria shouted as she saw same did everything he could to open the door.

"Nah, my best friend was in there and not answering his phone or opened the door for me."

"My friend too is not answering her phone."

Then they both had the same suspicion.

"Do you think?'

"Maybe they…."

"Damn it, that's why he reject every single girl I try to find him!" Sam exclaimed.

"I think they're in her house."

Sam walked over to Maria who opened the door with the keys Nat gave her. They both crept into the house, searching every room but found no one. They moved to the second floor where they heard a TV sound from inside Nat's bedroom.

The door was half open and they peeked inside to see their friend cuddling on bed, sleeping. Buster laid across both humans while Truffles laid on top of Steve's chest and put it head on Buster.

"So our friends are dating and keep their relationship from us?" Sam asked.

"Apparently yes" Maria replied

"Do you think you can come with me to the awesome party downtown? Now that our friends ditch us."

"Sound great. I'm Maria by the way."

"I'm Sam Wilson."

They shook hand and playfully eyed one another before a sound broke the silence.

"You guys should date. We could go for a double sometime." Nat sleepily suggested and didn't open her eyes before went back to snuggle with Steve.


	6. Mommy's Home!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by: fluffy-yummy on tumblr (Steve, Nat, James and Tatiana have a dinner with tony, pepper and their children. fluff stuff)

The Avengers Tower wasn't the same without Natasha Romanoff. She had been gone for several months on a long mission with Clint Barton. Natasha didn't want to but Clint asked her nicely since Bobby was on a mission too. He needed a partner and he needed someone he can trust his life with.

She talked to her husband about this and he was okay with Natasha gone for two months and leaving their two kids with only their father.

"It's okay, Nat. Clint needs you and you would do the same if it was Bucky."

"Don't be so sure, soldier." She replied, slightly pouted because the last time Steve Rogers, her husband, went on a mission with Bucky, he broke his arms.

Yes, arms, both of his freaking arms. Even it healed within three days, she still mad at him for being so reckless. Well, she rather blame it on her hormone. It was when she was pregnant with their second baby, Tatiana.

They had two children. James Rogers, five years old boy with blue eyes and red hair. Tatiana Rogers, two years old girl with green eyes and blonde hair.

Today was a special day since it was the day Natasha and Clint will return home and everyone was excited about this. Pepper came home early. Tony and Little Anthony, his seven years old son, were decorating the living room. Bruce and Thor were on an errand to pick up Natasha and Clint favorite desserts or ingredients to their favorite meal.

Steve was in the kitchen with Jane while Loki and Darcy were babysit James and Tatiana. Loki was very fond of little Tatiana and always spoiled her. Every time she asking for cool magic trick from Uncle Loki, she always got it. Darcy thought that it was because Tatiana looked a lot more like Natasha than Steve while James was exactly a mini version of his father.

"Uncle Loki, I want Dragon!" Tatiana said "Please…"

"Tell me, little one, who is the best uncle of them all?" Loki asked gently

"You are" The little girl replied, "I want to see dragon!"

Her other uncles groaned loudly when they heard her answer.

"Loki, no." Steve quietly said from the kitchen.

"I can make you an iron suit like the one I have." Tony spoke up

"Tony, no." Steve said again.

"You can fly with me my little niece.'

"Thor, no"

"I will let you sleep in my metal arm."

"Bucky, no."

"I will show you a magic of science."

"Not you too. Bruce, no."

The parenthood of Steve and Natasha always consisted of 'no' because they had to stop the crazy uncles from spooling their children. They will ignore it if Steve was the one who say it but if it was Natasha, everyone will follow what she said. Well, she was more likely to kill them on spot if they didn't listen to her.

"Sir, Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton are on their way up to the living area."

"Mommy!" The children shouted happily and went to the elevator.

Steve too followed his kids and everyone was standing in front of the elevator for Natasha and Clint.

Ding!

The elevator slid open and Natasha and Clint were surprised to find everyone was there to welcome them home.

"Mommy!" James and Tatiana ran to Natasha who dropped on her knees to hug them.

The rest of the team came to hug the two agents while Steve watching to scene for a far. Natasha's eyes searched her husband and gave him a bright smile when she saw him standing at the back of the group.

"I missed my husband too, you know?" She said

Steve smiled and moved closer to her. Thor and Loki knew it was their queue to distract the kids so Natasha and Steve could have the moment.

"Come on, my little niece and nephew! We will show you the dragon." Thor boomed as he and Loki swiped the kids from the floor and took them to the living room.

"Don't burn anything, Loki!" Nat said

Steve chuckled before pulled his wife into his embrace and gave her a loving kiss to tell her how much he miss her.

"Don't go for too long like this again." He whispered against her mouth

"I didn't want to and you say you're okay with this."

"I didn't know that I will miss you like crazy."

"Oh please…." She muttered under her breathe.

"If you two done sucking each other's faces, we have dinner to eat." Tony spoke up.

Steve stopped kissing Nat but didn't let go of her. He gently guided her to the dining table. He was about to sit next to her when James and Tatiana came running and sat with their mother.

"Double cock block" Tony coughed and Pepper immediately elbowed her husband.

So Steve sat down at the head of the table and the one who say grace. During the meal, he never took his eyes of his wife and Nat always gave him a smile. When Bruce decided to get some music on the kids and some adults got up to the free space and began to dance.

"James, mommy is tired. You should ask Auntie Jane to dance."

"Okay."

Nat gave her boy a kiss on his forehead before he ran to Jane and Thor. Steve slipped his arms from behind and held her tightly.

"I miss you." He said again.

"I miss you too, Steve."

Nat leaned into his embrace and they slowly moved themselves according to tune of the song.

There was no way to best this home coming.

And she gladded to be a part of this crazy family.


	7. Another Way Around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt : Nat asking Steve out

Clint had a very good time watching two of the most straightforward people in this entire world tiptoeing around each other and being oblivious this entire time.

Since everything went down straight to hell in DC. Clint gotta say that he lost his home (To be honest, half of his stuff was still in his office in the Triskellion, including his new set of bow and arrow.) But lucky for him he still had the Avengers and Stark called each of them up.

"Bird brain we need you back in New York." Stark said over the phone, "I know SHIELD is gone and you kinda homeless right now."

"I'm not homeless. I have apartment in New York too."

"Yeah, your tiny little mouse hole doesn't count so I want you to live in the brand new Avengers Tower with the rest of us."

"'Us'?"

"Fine, it's just me, Pepper, Rhodey, Hill and Bruce!"

"What about the others?"

"Hill told me that Thor is in London with Jane. Steve is in DC while your girlfriend is nowhere to be found."

"Who's my girlfriend?"

"Natasha"

'She's not my girlfriend. She's my partner. We're friends, Stark. Nothing more than that."

"Right…" Clint could hear Stark smirked from all the way back to New York if that possible, "Well, my helicopter will pick you up"

That was how Clint moved to New York and lived with Tony Stark. The billionaire did a very good job in tracking everyone down except for Natasha who was disappear without any trace. Tony managed to get Thor in move in with them and offered him to bring all of his friends along too.

"Why not? I have plenty of rooms left." That was all his answer, "The more the merrier."

To Clint's opinion, the correct statement was the more the chaos will occur. But he had to be honest again, to have Jane and Darcy moving in was kinda fun. Clint enjoyed his time bantering with Jane's intern and pulled a lot of prank. Jane's presence made the atmosphere around the tower soften with female touch because Pepper and Hill weren't enough to keep the testosterone level down. Dr. Selvig also spent a lot of his time in labs with Tony's cool science toy with a close supervision from Jane.

Steve moved in a week after with his friend Sam. The Captain was a bit quieter than the last time they met. He often trapped in his own thought and didn't focus much about everything around him. It was something was bothering him all the time. On the other hand, Sam was quickly blended in with the rest of the team. Tony and Bruce insisted that he will make a coolest wing pack for Sam. Thor always excited to meet new people and if that person was Captain America's friend, he was more than welcome. For Clint, they quickly bonded and became Bird Bro as Darcy called them. They always exchanged bird pun and laughed while the others just rolled their eyes and groaned.

Clint suspected something about the Captain but it became too obvious for the archer for the first time when Steve frankly asked Tony and him about Natasha.

"Tell me you know where Natasha is" Steve said, "She's the only one who isn't here."

"Chill, capsicle." Tony waved him off "She cannot hide forever."

"Well, technically, if she doesn't want to be found, you will never ever find her."

"I have the

"You have what?"

"It's not the time for you patriotism and freedom, old man. I have to do in order to track her."

And that shut Steve up immediately. Clint noticed it. He never missed a thing. The Captain really wanted Natasha back.

"You miss her?'  
"Of course!" The Captain unintentionally blurted out which was too late to recover, "Of course, I miss her" He admitted, "She's my friend and I'm sure that everyone misses her too."

"Right…I'm not" Tony chimed in which earned him a daggers glare from Steve.

"Just find her." Steve said and walked away

Tony couldn't find her anywhere even when he had all the feed from over the whole but he still couldn't locate Natasha. The billionaire finally gave up on this impossible task. When Tony told Steve about this, the Captain frowned but didn't say anything other than tell Tony that he already tried his best.

Clint intended to dig for more information but the Avengers needed to protect the world again.

Someone launch an attack at the far side of the world. Some angry robots let loose in downtown of Seoul. Tony told them it was doom bot. Steve gave the order to everyone to position themselves the same way they did back in New York.

Tony and Rhodey circled around the block to contain the situation while Hulk and Thor smashed and blasted the robot. Clint was position on top of the building to support Steve who was dealing with the robot on the ground.

But Captain America was quickly out number. He cannot do this alone. The last time in New York he had Natasha with him, helping him and they worked perfectly together.

One robot managed to blast three photon blast into Steve's torso and the Captain fell to the ground.

"Captain, are you alright?" Clint asked from the rooftop.

"I'm down…" Steve's voice was weak and he tried really hard to get up. "I lost my shield too."

"Stark, Thor, Steve is down!"

"I'm on it!" Tony replied

Steve groaned as his wound began to bleed. He tried to move but he couldn't. He closed his eyes, preparing for the end.

Then he heard a sound of motorcycle exhaust. Steve tried to crack his eyes opened and caught a glimpse of a black motor cycle with…his shield in front of it?

Steve tried to maintain his conscious but his vision began to blur but he saw a flash of fiery red hair before couldn't open his eyes again. He heard gunfire, heard a woman called his name, then he felt like someone dragging his body somewhere.

"Don't die on me, Rogers!" She said, "Open your eyes."

He knew that voice and he knew her too. He slowly opened his eyes again to see a face that he wanted to see all along. Her beautiful green eyes were the same, everything about her was still the same except for her red hair. She changed it back to the short red curl from when they first met.

"Natasha…"

"Damn it, Steve. I didn't break any promise if you die while you're not on my watch." Natasha said as she dragged him inside the building.

"Nat…"

"I have to save your sorry ass again. You're welcome."

Steve smiled tiredly before he closed his eyes. Natasha fired her guns at the enemy when Stark came to rescue them both.

The fight ended and they had to transfer Steve back to the Tower as soon as possible. The photon blasts left him a big wound but luckily, it didn't get through his body. It will take a week and extensive medical care to heal the wound properly.

To everyone surprise, Natasha came back with them. To Clint surprise, Natasha never left Steve's bedside. She was there to read him book and to talk to him when he woke up. She was there when he had nightmare and consoled him and helped him back to Steve.

It's true that Clint saw better from distance but this one didn't require you to be master archer to see it through.

They both deeply cared for each other.

After that battle, Natasha moved back to New York permanently. Clint didn't ask Natasha of why she suddenly decided to resurface again after she was gone for almost six months. He suspected that it had to be something to do with the soldier.

After Steve was out of the medical ward, Clint had a chance to interrogate his friend about what really happened during and after the DC incident. Natasha told him everything that she and Steve had been through together. Clint said he was sorry because he was on another mission in Europe.

"It's okay. At least, Steve isn't a bad partner."

"I sense that there is something more than that, Nat."

"There's nothing more than that."

Clint let it slide because he knew he couldn't force her to tell him if she didn't want to. But if she wanted to keep it a secret, he will make sure to dig all the dirt.

It was the team movie night where every residence of the tower gathered in the living room and argued for like one hour about the movie. Steve and Natasha just sat quietly and shared a bowl of popcorn. Tony and Darcy yelled at each other while Pepper and Jane tried to calm them down. They decided to watch both to end the argument.

Clint already saw Steve and Natasha occupied the love seat. The archer observed the two of them closely even when the light was out. Steve dozed off half way through the first movie and let Nat hogged all the popcorn. Then Natasha began to feel a little sleepy and leaned her head against Steve arm which the Captain immediately wrapped his arm around her small form.

And she seriously said that she didn't feel anything with Steve. Please, she didn't even let anyone physically contact her in that intimate manner without breaking their arms. When the light turned on again, they saw sleeping soldier and spy snuggling on the love seat.

"Uhh…When you say she isn't your girl, you mean she's with capsicle, right?" Tony asked

"I don't fucking know." Clint replied

They ended up leaving the two of then there because they seemed to be in a really deep sleep and no one had a heart to wake them up when Natasha looks so relax and carefree for the very first time and Steve looks very peaceful and happy as he ever been.

The next clue came in the form of their routine sparring with Clint watching from his nest or sometime, the rest of the team joined him to watch the well choreograph fight between the soldier and the spy. They were both master in hand to hand combat and they complimented each other very well.

Too well in Clint opinion. Too well that they radiated sexual tension that it was too much that he and Stark had to point it out when the match ended with Steve pinned Nat down. His left hand wrapped around her wrists and pinned it above her head. Her legs wrapped around his waist. They both panting and the sight was enough to make everyone turned away.

"Alright, I've seen enough of porn." Tony covered his eyes as he stood up from the bench.

"Me too." Bruce agreed

"Sexual tension between you two is really suffocating."

Steve sighed and let go off Natasha but she flipped them so she was now straddling him. Everybody else groaned and left them alone.

What hit Clint the most was that they always have the look on their face when they saw each other and the way they look at each other was something more than friend look at one another.

They always sneak a smile or make eyes contact in a very intimate way that Clint was so sure that they already fuck each other in their mind. The way Natasha always dotting Steve in every little thing and how he was a bit irritate but did what she want and ended up smiling to her all the time. In turn, Steve was always protective of Natasha and fought by her side all the time.

Clint took the next opportunity he had to ask Natasha point blank about her feeling for Steve.

"You love him, don't you?"

"What are you talking about, Clint? Love is for children."

"Stop with that phrase, Tasha. You're obviously crazy in love with Captain Tight Ass."

"If I admit that I love him?"

"When will you ask Captain Clueless out?"

"You know that I have only tiniest chance that he will accept my love"

"Why is that? He is obviously very fond of you, Nat."

"Yeah, he's very fond of me, as a friend. He likes that Sharon girl and I makes a mistake of telling him to call her."

"I'm so fucking done with you two being so blind and in denial train."

Clint had enough and got up from his seat next to her.

"Do something before he ended up with someone else, Nat. You will not like it if it come to that."

It somehow hit Natasha home. She was sitting alone in the living room trying to mulling over everything between her and Steve. Their intimate gestures, the way they acted around one another, everything should point into that direction but why did she feel like she didn't want to ask him out.

The reason was because she always convince herself that she wasn't good enough for everyone. But there was somehow Steve manage to look right pass all of that. He accepted her from who she really was and she didn't have to pretend, to put on any mask when she was around him.

She guessed she had to find out about that.

"JARVIS, where is Captain Rogers?"

"At his floor, ma'am."

Nat got up and took the elevator up to his floor. She found him lounging on the couch with a sketch pad in his hand.

"Hey Steve!" She greeted.

"Nat." He replied and sat up, paying her full of his attention.

"You doing anything fun this Saturday night and don't tell me your barbershop quartet were dead jokes again."

"I will go out on Saturday." He replied, "Don't set me up with anyone again."

"No, no…it's not that…I just…"

"Are you alright, Nat?"

"I'm fine. I just…Good luck on your date."

"What date? I didn't go on a date. Sam got a new lead on Bucky and we will head to Brazil."

"Oh."

"So…do you have anything to ask me? Because you seemed kinda have a lot of question to ask me."

"Wanna go out with me?" She blurted out and prayed that the Captain would say yes.

Steve stared at her for half a minute and Nat got her answer. She inhaled deeply and looked him in the eyes.

"It's okay if you don't want to, I will leave you alone right now." Nat quickly said before turning away.

But Steve moved with his superhuman speed and caught her waist before pulling until her back was against his torso and held her tightly.

"I would love to, Natasha." He whispered "You are the only reason I turned down every single attempt of your matchmaking."

Nat secretly glad that he didn't see her face because it was burning right now.

"Since you will head to Brazil this Saturday night I guess we can…"

Steve stopped her rumbling by put his lips on her.

"What are you trying to say again?" He asked with a smirk. "And that was my first kiss since DC."

Her face turned red again,  _damn him_. Natasha had to pick up what was left of her, "We can go out for a pizza tonight or do something fun together."

"Anything you want, Nat."


	8. Straight in a straight line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A followed up chapter from a lovely one shot by sleeplessinbudapest. You Are My Once Upon A Time, Chapter #2: Dancing away with my heart

Okay…He never thought it would be this nervous. Well, it was their first date since…ages ago and everything about Natasha only make him nervous. His mind was running on high gear and he thought about every possibility about their date tonight.

"Steve, you can do this, pal." Steve said to his reflection in the mirror and adjusted his tie.

To be honest, everything that he did for Natasha, he wanted it to be as perfect as it could be because she deserved it. She was one of the kind and someone that you shouldn't let go.

He will not let her go again.

He didn't want to let her go in the first place but it was the choice that made in order for her to pursue her career, to pursue her dream, to have the life that she always wants rather than stuck here in this quiet simple life with him. He couldn't do that to her, after all, all he wanted was the best thing for her.

They had a very long history together and every memory of them only made him smile. She was his high school sweetheart, his first kiss, and his first time.

They parted away. He was enlisted with the US army and had been on three tours. He risked his life in the line of fire many time but he had something that held his sanity together, the only thing that help him through hell, the picture of him and Natasha. Well, Natasha did help him a lot.

He heard news about her and not exactly tried to contact her. From what he heard she became a Broadway superstar. He was just a poor soldier, a soldier that lost his way home. The second tour was more bearable than the first one. Maybe because of he got used to it. He found himself looking at her picture less but every time he looked at her picture, he felt the weight on his shoulders was gone for a little while.

And here he was, asking her out after ten years of not seeing each other. They just met again last night at the reunion. He was surprised that she say yes to him. Not really that surprised because he still could notice the connection between them.

10 years didn't do anything to their feelings toward one another, to be honest. Yeah, first love always tended to stick that way. She was his first love and only love.

Steve stopped himself from thinking and finished dressing up. He will attend her play and he brought a bouquet of roses for her. Natasha got him a front row seat. He couldn't be more excited to see her performance because this was her dream since they were very young. She loved to sing. She loved to dance and she is very good at it.

The show was terrific. Natasha did her job fantastically and received a standing ovation from everyone. She looked at him and smiled when he waved for her.

Steve met her back stage for their date after the show. Natasha came back twenty minutes later. Dressing in her red dress making her look even more beautiful. She went to him and gave him a hug.

"This is for you." He said with a proud smile, "Your performance is wonderful and you are really beautiful tonight."

"Just tonight?" She asked teasingly

"No, you are the most beautiful woman I ever see in my entire life." He replied, "Even I travel the globe and meet a lot of people"

A faint blush on her face had Steve took a mental note how cute she is. They walked along the street to the place where they would have their dessert. It was their favorite pizza joint since they were in high school and, well, this place was their first date.

"I can't believe they still open after all this year." Nat exclaimed

"How can the restaurant that serve the best tiramisu and Margarita pizza shut down?"

"I guess we have to find out that they're still the best in town?"

Steve didn't argue with that as he wanted to spend as much time as he could with Natasha before he got ship off again in 12 days.

The restaurant owner came to their table and his eyes went wide when he saw the couple.

"Oh my goodness!" He exclaimed loudly in his thick Italian accent, "I remember the two of you just like it is yesterday!"

"Oh..." They both had a faint blush on their faces.

"I know that you two are soulmate made especially for each other. My wife always knew when she looks at ones."

"Sir, we are..." Steve was trying to explain.

"Everything is on the house, my lovely children."

Then he proceeded to hug them and leave them to the menu.

"I can't believe he's still remember us." Nat said

"Yeah, it's twelve years since I asked you out and came here for our first date."

And just like that, all of her feeling overwhelming her in the matters of seconds. When he left her to join the army, it was the most heartbreaking thing for her handle. Everyone thought that they were done for good but the fact was that things between her and Steve will never ever be permanently done.

Here he was, trying to reminisce the good old days and confuse her with all of this. She thought she can handle this but she clearly can't. She missed him so much that to let him leave her again would be too much.

"Steve, what are you trying to do?"

Steve was confused and he didn't fake it, "To have a nice dinner and catch up with you. Is it wrong that I want to spend my time with you."

That's it. She admitted it. She had and always had this weaknesses forever. Her weakness was Steve Rogers, his charm, and his sweet words.

"It's not a coincidence that you pick this place. It's not a coincidence if you asked me out after 10 years of hearing nothing from you. It's not a coincidence for the man that couldn't wait a day to be enlisted to ask the girl he left on a date."

"Natasha, it's not a coincidence because I want to be with you. I left for a reason and it's all because of you, I want you to have a chance to live the life that you want, to follow your dream because i cannot take that away from you, from the love of my life. It's selfish to do that to the one you love."

That explained everything. He was the same Steve Rogers that left her. Always thinking about everyone else more than himself

But the loving look in his eyes got her again. She missed how he always look at her. She missed him.

Steve placed his hand on her and gently held it.

"Natasha, you're the only thing that important to me and only thing that I want. Ten years didn't change my feeling for you. I want you to know that."

Nat silenced for a second before look back into his eyes, "I guess my feeling didn't change too."

"So…what are we waiting for?"

"I don't know, Steve. I don't want to lose you again. You cannot just come back and play with my heart and then leave me again. I cannot do that anymore."

"I didn't go away forever, Natasha. It will be a year to shorted than that and after this tour, I will quit."

"Steve…"

"Nat…please, I don't want to let you go again when I miss you so badly. I know it in my heart I want only you."

The wall Natasha was trying to build was easily broke down by him. He always had his way to get through all of her defense. She couldn't lie to herself anymore. She needed him too.

"How long will I have you before you leave again?"  
"12 days. There is many things we can do together in those 12 days."

"I guess we have to make the most of those 12 days."

* * *

That night Steve and Natasha ended up at her apartment, in her bed and in each other's arms for the first time in 10 years. Nat knew she wanted him as much as he needed her. They were making love that night. He was sweet and gentle to her as always.

Nat called the show manager to inform that she will take 2 weeks off because her boyfriend just came back from his tour and she wanted to spend some time with him after so many years of not seeing each other.

They spent their day walking around town or sitting in the cafe or picnic in the park, exchanged their stories. There was so many stories to catch up. They spent their night in bed, making love, held each other tightly and kissed passionately.

The time had come when Steve will leave for his last tour. The morning before a day of his leave Natasha woke up first to watch him sleep soundly in her bed. She had been noticed the scars he acquired from war. He had big brutal scar on his torso and back. Her fingers gently traced over those scars every morning she woke up and found him in her bed.

He told her he didn't get much sleep in the front line of war. But when he was with her, he felt like home and he didn't have to carry all the burden with him anymore.

"You are my home, Natasha." He said to her with a sad smile, knowing he would have to leave her tomorrow.

"Then stay" She replied and kissed his lips, "I don't want you to go either."

"You know I can't but I promise you. I will return to you in one piece and I will not leave you ever again."

"Promise."

"I promise." He smiled and kissed her hand.

The last night before Steve leaving the country again, Steve was making love to her all night, kissing her at every inch of her body as if he was trying to remember her in every single way and his reverence touch only made her wanted to cry.

"Will you be there to send me off?" He asked and looked into her beautiful green eyes.

"You know, if I be there, I will never ever let you get on those plane."

"Nat…"

"Steve…I couldn't watch you leave me again."

Steve didn't say anything anymore. He kissed her again and made love to her all night until Natasha drifted back to sleep and held on to him tight.

The morning came and Natasha woke up to see Steve dressing up in his military uniform and moving on to packing his bag. Nat watched him with sadness on her beautiful features. She didn't say anything until her turned back to her.

"Morning" He said

"Morning"

They didn't say anything after that but Nat got up and took a shower before they headed out from town. They were at the army airport within two hours and there was still time before he had to board the plane.

Nat didn't know what she should say to him except from wishing the best for him and that he had to come home to her or else she will hint him down and followed him.

"I will come back, Natasha." He said again "I love you and always will be that way."

"Just come back to me." She pleaded

"You never tell me you love me."

"I will tell you when you come back to me.

"I will, Tasha."

She gave him a good luck kiss before let him go but Steve held on to her.

"Damn it, Nat. You make it very hard to leave."

"Then don't."

He smiled against her lips before letting go of her.

"I love you, sweetheart. I will come back to you in one year."

* * *

**1 Years Later**

It was a rough year for them. Long distance relationship was the hardest thing for any couple around the world. They tried to talk as much as they could but Steve always been on a mission. Sometime it took him two weeks or sometime it took him a month and Natasha was worried that something might happened to him.

The stress was too high for both of them. She was worried and he was trying his best to calm her down. Sometime they fought but they made up as fight as the fight ended. He ensured her every time they talked that he will return to her and that he loved her.

But there was something Natasha hid from him very perfectly and Steve didn't even notice anything.

She wanted to keep it a surprise but she wasn't sure how he will react to this news.

Natasha was at the army airport in New Jersey to welcome Steve home. She was there with the family of other soldiers who came back along with Steve. The plane landed and the soldiers slowly walked off the plane to meet up with their families. They all ran to their love one and hugged, kissed and cried.

Natasha tiptoed to look for her soldier until she noticed the familiar blond hair and her favorite smile. Steve noticed her in the crowd and quickly ran to her, swept her up and whirled her around before kissing her lovingly.

"I love you." He said.

Nat smiled against his lips, "I have someone that want you to meet."

Steve's face went blank, "Don't tell me you bring your fiancé here with you."

"Nooo, you idiot" She punched his arm before took him to see someone.

That someone was in a blue stroller and it took Steve off guard. He didn't know what to say until he felt tear fell from his eyes. He looked down to see the little baby with red hair and blue eyes smiled at him

"Is that?" He lost his words, "Is that…our baby?"

"Yes, soldier. It's your little baby boy. You knocked me up before you went on the tour."

Steve broke out the pure happiest smile she really missed, "Ooh my god." He exclaimed, "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

"What's his name? Why didn't you tell me? When did you know about the baby? Tell me everything!"

"His name is James Rogers." She told, "I knew it three weeks after you gone. I didn't tell you because I think this news might distract you so I keep this a secret. I'm lucky that Tony and Pepper help me a lot."

Steve swiped her up again and kissed her deeply. She was the best thing he ever had in his entire life. He let her back on her feet again before get down on his kneel, pulling his necklace out and disconnecting the ring from the necklace.

"Natasha Romanoff, the love of my life. I don't want to waste anymore year living without you again. I love you so much. Will you marry me?"

Nat smiled down at him, "Yes, baby. I will marry you."

Steve smiled and slid the ring on his finger. Loud cheer erupted around them. Steve kissed her again and held Nat by her waist before taking their son back home together. Steve went inside her penthouse and slowly put his kid in the crib and came back to found Natasha still waiting for him outside of the door.

"What are you doing, Nat?"

"Waiting for my husband to carry me inside" She replied with a playful smirk.

"Of course, Mrs. Rogers." He said and carried her inside to their bedroom.

Steve gently placed her down on their bed, looking into her beautiful eyes and said,

"I'm home, honey."


	9. T.A.H.I.T.I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sequel to Chapter 4 : Traitor)

After Natasha died, Steve was in the stage of grief and wasn't able to function anymore. The small funeral were held outside the city as she said in her will. Steve was standing still at her grave for two days, crying, mourning until Sam and Tony had to come and drag him home.

He was drowning in his sorrow, blaming himself for her dead. Other members of the team had their very specific way of dealing with their lost. Clint locked himself up at the rooftop nest and didn't come down again since the funeral. Bruce kept working on tons of project to keep himself occupied. Thor drowned himself with meads before took off to Asgard and never returned but he asked Odin to put a constellation up in the sky in order to honor Natasha's great deeds. While Tony locked himself inside his workshop and created hundreds of new Ironman suits. Each one of them were designed for every member of the teams in hope that it might protect his friends.

The only person who was able to function and kept the Avengers alive was Pepper Potts who didn't have time to grieve for her friend's dead because she had to babysit little James for Steve who was completely lost it. She had to make sure everyone had a proper rest and eat enough food.

Pepper knew she was about to break down too but she couldn't. If she break, this entire family will fall apart. Natasha, the glue that held all of them together, wasn't there to help her keep this family together again.

"Steve, you have to get back on your feet." Pepper quietly said as she entered the Captain's bedroom.

Steve knelt down on the floor with the album of his and Natasha's wedding day. Tears stopped leaking from the soldier's eyes as it was no more of it.

"You must live on because there is one person that need you the most." She tried to reason with him, "Natasha wouldn't want you to live like this after she's gone."

"I killed her." He replied. Eyes blanked.

"No, you are not and she knew it too."

"How could I protect anyone if I can't even protect my wife?"

"James needs you, Steve. You barely held him or anything to do with him."

"I fail him, Pepper."

It was the truth. He refused to hold his own son and looked at that innocent face without thinking of Natasha. The same shade of red of James's hair was the same as Natasha.

"You have to live on and take care of this beautiful child. He depends on you and he needs his father. Not me. Natasha would want him to grow up and have a happy life. She would want you to be happy even with or without her."

That hit Steve home and he turned to look at his child for the first time after Natasha's death. Pepper saw the lowest point of the Captain for the first time since she knew him. His face filled with sorrow. He didn't even bother to shave his facial hair. There was bags under his eyes.

Steve kissed James' forehead and the boy laughed happily before tugging at his dad's beard

"I'm sorry, James. But I will take a very good care of you and make your mother proud of both of us."

Steve kissed the boy again and again before held him gently in his arms.

He had to gather what was left of him. To continue to live on with his life and raised James the way Natasha would want him to do for their son.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, sir?" Coulson asked. Unsure of what might happened to the fellow agent.

"It's the only way to save her, Coulson." Fury replied, "What would you do if you were me?"

"I agree with you, sir. But…"

"It's the only the Avengers will back to function again. You see them for yourself already, Phil. They will never ever cope with this especially Rogers."

"Do whatever you have to do, sir. But if she had the same consequence like Garret."

"No, she won't."

* * *

**1 year later**

Awwww, pain suck! She always thought she had the highest pain tolerance rate humanly possible but this was one hell of a pain. She didn't want to open her eyes afraid that she might see blood everywhere and she was dying.

SHE WAS REALLY DYING!

Natasha snapped her eyes open because the sudden surge of memories flooded her brain, filling her head with everything.

She took three bullets for him and was very sure that she will die protecting him to prove that she wasn't betray him at all. She would make him believe that she betrayed him again if that means saving his life. She will do anything for him.

She was now hyperventilating and tried to calm herself down.

Then Natasha began to notice that she wasn't at the medical ward of the tower. She whipped her head to see Fury and Coulson walked through the door.

"Took you long enough to wake up, Romanoff." "You've been as sleep for a year."

"One year?"

"Yes, Romanoff. It was a more delicate process than the last time we used on Coulson. He insisted that we shouldn't change any of your memories like they did with me."

"Thanks, Phil."

"How are Steve and James?"

The two men silenced and look at one another.

"Just tell me, please. I need to know that he and James are doing okay."

"First of month of your death, Rogers didn't left the floor, didn't touch his son or doing anything because he was grief over you. Ms. Potts talked some sense into him and he began to get up on his feet again. James is now walking and begin to talk." Phil told. "They are doing fine, I guess."

"Do you want to meet them, Natasha?" Fury asked

From what Phil told her, the teams must have been moving on with their life and adjusted with the life without her. Steve too must have dealt with his grief. To be honest, she didn't know how he would react after all of this.

"It's all up to you Natasha. Do you want your old life back or start a new one without all of this mess. It's totally up to you." Fury made a suggestion.

How should she make a decision about this?

* * *

**1 Year and a half after Natasha's death.**

Everyone could see that Steve finally got back on his track. Even it was slow but at least he began to adjust with the life without Natasha. James was 3 years old and Steve had to do a lot of thing with his little kid.

James was the only thing that help him through his darkest time.

Tony took it upon himself to set Steve up with decent women. The billionaire explained that this wasn't an insult to Natasha's memories but it was for Steve's own happiness and a chance for him to find real love again.

Steve accepted the arrangement to stop Tony from smothering him. But when he arrived at the restaurant and met his date, Steve told her right away that he wasn't interest in dating right now. He was still grieving for his lost and had to take care of his son.

"I don't think I want to spend my life which anyone else if they aren't her."

And Tony never ever setting him up with anyone ever again.

* * *

**2 Years after Natasha woke up**

Fury was able to find her a nice apartment near the Avengers Tower where she could keep her close watch on her family. She still working on a courage to show up at their living room and tell them that she still arrived.

It was really hard for her. After all of that she put them through. She had two or three chances to talk to Steve but she chickened out at the very last minute and walked away from him.

She had to keep her close watch, to protect them and to make sure that they were doing fine.

She watched as Steve took James to the park every Sunday to enjoy the sun. Steve also took James to the museum, literally every museum in New York. He took James to the old milkshake place in Brooklyn. It was their favorite spot back when they were dating.

She missed him. She missed her son. She missed her family.

But she knew it will not be anytime soon.

Like today, Steve took James to the cemetery where they 'buried' her. Steve told James about everything about her, all the good things about her, her heroic deeds that save the world countless time alongside Steve and the team.

He could remember everything and it made Natasha cried at every little tiny detail.

She will work on her courage to talk to him one day but not anytime soon.

* * *

**3 years later from when Natasha woke up**

James was now preparing to go to school. Everyone in the tower were very excited about this. Steve insisted that he should be dropping James off alone to avoid all the attention but Tony insisted that everyone should be there for little James and to scare off everyone.

"It will be fun, capsicle." Tony said.

James turned to his father, "Why did Uncle Tony call you that?"

"Because you father was frozen in the ice for seventy years…."

"Alright, that's enough for the history lesson. You will learn about this one day, James." Steve cut them off, "We should get going by now. You don't want to be late in your first day of school."

Everyone got inside the limo and James sat on his father's laps. Once the car was pulled over in front of the school. James opened the door and jumped out happily, ignoring Steve's warning.

"Be careful, James!"

Steve quickly get off the car and in time to see James bumped into a woman and fall to the ground at the impact. The woman quickly knelt down beside the boy and Steve too rushing to James's side.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." The boy said.

"It's alright."

Steve quickly turned to the woman because he remembered that voice. His eyes widened in disbelief because the person in front of him was supposed to be dead, buried under the ground.

"Hi, Steve." She said with a small smile on her face, "Do you still remember me?"

"Yeah…But how?" He was confused but shook it off immediately, "I don't care if this a dream or I'm really going insane. I just want you here"

"I'm not a dream, Steve" She insisted.

They got up on their feet. James was a little confuse with his dad's reaction.

"Daddy, do you know her?"

"She's your mother, James."

James broke out a big smile and hugged Natasha tightly, forgetting the fact that everyone been telling him since he could remember thing that his mother was dead.

"Steve, are you crying?" Natasha asked as she hugged her son for the first time in many years.

"Two years without you is too much." Steve replied and joined in the group hug, "I missed you so much, sweetheart."

"I missed you too." She replied, "Both of you."

"Come back with us." Steve urged, "We need you. I need you."

"Please…mommy please…" James also begging her.

"I will not go anywhere again."


	10. Alone in the Tower

**_26 December_ **

Steve was really looking forward for the countdown with his friends. He knew Tony would throw huge party and invite everyone but at least Steve could bare with it, knowing that he was surrounded by five people he loves.

But after Christmas party, Steve woke up and went to the living room to see that there was anyone too drunk to find their way back to their room from the previous night but all he saw was Tony and Pepper with their suitcases, ready to leave.

"Where are you guys going?" Steve asked.

"We will head to Bali to spend our New Year time together. It's also our anniversary." Tony replied.

Steve's face faltered immediately and the couple didn't fail to notice how disappoint the captain was.

"Hey, you still have our little gang with you." Tony patted Steve's shoulder, "Even the life of the party as myself wasn't here with you."

"I think they will be just fine without you here, Tony."

"Aww, Pep!"

"See you next year, Steve." Pepper hugged the captain, "We gotta go now. Our plane will leave in one hour."

"It will leave when we say so, darling." Tony corrected, "See ya, capsicle!"

"Safe flight, guys!"

Steve had to admit that it was a little bit disappoint but like the billionaire said, he still had the rest of his family with him.

"Why are you brooding this early in the morning, grandpa?"

The voice made Steve smiled a little before he turned to see Natasha standing at the stairs, "Tony and Pepper just left for their vacation. I guess we have to spend the New Year without him."

"The tower would be quiet for a while without Stark here to cause any trouble." Natasha agreed.

The captain stepped closer to the spy before wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling the small body closer to his, "At least, I have you with me." He murres before pressed his lips to hers, "Morning, love."

"Morning, babe." She replied and kissed him some more.

* * *

**_27 December_ **

Steve woke up because of Natasha. She was continuously poking his arms and pressing her lips at his neck, his jaw and his mouth until he couldn't continue with his sleep.

"Hey…" He greeted.

"Steve…I'm hungry." She said, "I'm craving cheese burger."

He became fully awake but when he saw the clock at the end table, "Nat, it's 2 AM."

"But I'm hungry!" She protested, "I'm sure Stark had stock everything in the fridge."

"Okay, I will make it for you, my love."

Steve got up from their bed but didn't notice the wide grin on her face. She let him carry her downstairs to the main kitchen only to find Bruce was pacing back and forth in the living room while talking on the phone with someone. He looked serious than he ever was. The doctor turned to see the couple in the living room and flashed them a small smile.

Steve took Natasha to the kitchen and began to prepare a cheese burger for her.

"I will be there." Bruce said before he hang up the phone and walked to the couple.

"Where are you going?" Nat asked.

"Betty just come back in town for a couple day and wants me to spend New Year with her."

"You should go, Dr. Banner." Steve said.

"Steve will be a little disappoint because he is really looking forward for the New Year party with everyone."

"Sorry, cap."

"Don't be. Everyone should spend the important holiday with the one they love."

"Thanks for the understanding."

The couple gave him a warm smile and hugged the doctor tight. Bruce headed back to bed before Steve resumed his cooking.

* * *

**_28 December_ **

Steve woke up early and thought he will cook something for Natasha. Last night they had a seafood tower at the restaurant in Brooklyn. She was still asleep so he will surprise her with the breakfast in bed.

Steve was making a smoked salmon croissant with egg benedict for his girl but he heard a sleepy voice from the doorway.

"Morning, Steve.' She greeted, "What are you doing?"

"Your breakfast, darling." He replied, "And it supposed to be a breakfast in bed."

She smiled and walked up to him and hugged Steve from behind, pressing her lips on his neck. She took a whiff of a smell of the breakfast but then a strange feeling rolling in her stomach and it made her ran into the bathroom before vomiting whatever in her stomach off.

Steve immediately followed her into the bathroom, "Are you alright?"

"Food poisoning, maybe" She replied before another wave hit her.

The captain knelt down beside her and held her hair back, "Sweetie, you didn't look fine at all. Shall I take you to the hospital? I can postpone the shopping."

"Aww, you don't have to. I will have JARVIS check me up at the medical ward. You can go to the supermarket and buy things you want to prepare for New Year dinner."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I will be fine."

Steve still didn't convince but Natasha insisted he should go but he dropped her off at the medical ward anyway. He told JARVIS and Clint to inform him right away if her condition got worse.

The captain went to the supermarket and brought everything for the New Year dinner. Even the teams reducing into only four members of the gang, Steve still wanted to have the dinner. Since he joined the Avengers and they slowly became his family, he always made the team gathering the top of his priority.

It had to be perfect in every possible way.

When Steve came back, he found Natasha was in the living room with Thor and Clint. The god came to help the captain put everything in the fridge. Natasha was laying on the couch, watching 'The Holiday' with Clint. The archer looked at Steve as of he wanted to give Steve some head up. The soldier frowned because he already thought of the worst but when he saw her. He was completely shock.

She was crying. She never cried on anything so easily. She said herself she never a too emotional person. ( _"I'm not crying at everything like you, Steve" She said back when she made him watched Titanic for the first time and she cried_.) Well, it was any normal to see the Black Widow cried.

"Are you alright, Tasha?" He asked as he sat down next to her. Natasha immediately put her legs on his laps.

"I'm fine." She insisted but never took her eyes from the TV.

Steve looked at Thor who just shrugged at the Captain so Steve looked at Clint who was still as confused as Steve was.

"Why are you crying, darling?"

"The movie is really good. It is hard not to cry."

"So...do you have food poisoning?"

"Oh, about that. JARVIS said it could be the cause of my nausea and vomiting but I'm feeling better now."

"I'm glad to hear that." Steve smiled gently at her and kissed the knuckle of her hand, "I would hate it if you missed tonight's dinner."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

They continued watching the movie and Steve went to prepare things for the dinner right after the movie was finished. Natasha helped him too until Thor got an unexpected phone call from Jane.

"She should be on the plane by now and why she called me?" The god mumbled before picking up his phone, "Lady Jane!"

Thor walked out the kitchen to talk to Jane and came back five minutes later with an guilty look on his face, "Airport in London is shutting down and ground all the plane due to a heavy snow storm." Thor reported, "Lady Jane and her friends will be stuck in London for the time being."

"And?" Steve prompted.

"Apology, friend Steven but I have to be in London with Lady Jane. I couldn't have a dinner with you tonight."

"It's fine, Thor. I understand. You should go to her."

"You have my thanks, captain."

Thor summoned his hammer before he flew out the window. The dinner was down to three people now. Natasha called Fury and Hill but they were to busy dealing with the new SHEILD. Clint invited Coulson's team but they were on the mission. His call went straight to Bobbi's voicemail.

"I guess it just the three of us now." Steve was trying not to sound disappointed but the two master assassins didn't miss it.

* * *

**_29 December_ **

Steve, Natasha, and Clint were doing the exercise in the gym. Steve and Clint were sparring while Natasha was doing her yoga.

Their session was interrupted by JARVIS's announcement of someone's arrival.

"Clint!" A female voice called for the archer.

Clint turned and he was distracted. Luck for him, Steve pulled his punch and it missed Clint's jaw.

"Bobbi!" Clint called her name as the blonde woman walked into the gym.

"I just got your massage last night and Coulson agreed to drop me off in New York. He said I could have a week off." Bobbi hugged Clint tight, didn't mind all the sweat from the work out.

"I miss you, birdie."

"Miss you too, sport."

Natasha and Steve silently witnessed the reunion of the birds. Bobbi turned to greet Steve and Natasha so it turned into a catch up session between the four of them.

"Do you think we can head out of town for sometime alone?" Bobbi asked.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"Your farm would be nice."

Clint turned to Steve and the captain nodded.

"Thanks, cap." Clint said and turned to his girlfriend, "I will go pack my stuff."

The couple walked to the elevator. Natasha turned to look at her Steve.

"Don't worry. We got the tower all to ourselves now." The spy said, " I think we could take a little advantage of this circumstance."

Steve couldn't think a better idea than this.

* * *

**_30 December_ **

Sometime, Steve could forget how unpredictable their career was and in this case, it came in the form of phone call in 3AM. He guessed the terrorists didn't have a holiday like normal people.

They immediately woke up but it was Nat's phone so Steve trying to get back to sleep. Nat scrambled for her phone and found that it was from Fury.

"Nick, it's 3AM" She mumbled sleepily

"We need you to come in. I just got the latest intel."

"Can it wait?"

"No"

"Wait a sec."

Natasha untangled herself from Steve's embrace with earned her a protest from him so she pecked a kiss at his lips before getting to discuss this matter. Fury told her about the general information and how important this was. When she hung up, she found that Steve was already awake and starring at her.

"What is it?"

"It's urgent and Fury needs me on this mission."

"When do you leave?"

"In two hours. He will send the quinjet for me."

"How long is the mission going to take?"

"A day or two."

"It means that you can miss celebrating New Year with me." He gaped.

"Steve..."

"It's okay. I understand, darling."

"Hey, there is no place I wanna be rather than to be with you."

She kissed him deeply before he could say anything. When they broke off, the only thing he said was, "Good luck and be safe, sweetheart."

* * *

**_31 December_ **

Steve woke up to an empty bed and he hate it a lot. He used to wake up with Natasha in his arms and she rarely had been away from him for almost a year now. They took less mission and decided to focus on the Avengers more than rebuilding SHIELD.

And there he was, alone in the empty tower. There was only JARVIS to celebrate this New Year with him. He wished all of his family were here but he couldn't force them to stay with him when they wanted some time alone with their partner.

So the captain spent his day alone in the tower on the New Year eve. He made breakfast for himself and ate it alone in the living room while watching his guilty pleasure movie (AKA  _the movie you must not let Tony knew you love it_ ). It was a wide range of romantic comedy movies which some of them the captain could recite the whole scene.

Then, Steve moved on to working out in the gym, punching bag and practicing his gymnastic move on the bar. After taking the shower, he sat nearby the window and did his sketch of the view on the Manhattan.

JARVIS had suggest that he should go out to celebrate the day with the rest of New Yorkers, either going to the Rockefeller center or Time Square. Steve replied that he didn't want to be in the crowd. He might just go to bed early and sleep through the year.

"It is a magnificent view of the firework display from your window, sir." The AI still suggested it to him when Steve was prepared to go to sleep at 9 PM.

"I don't think so, J, and could you completely dim the window because I don't want the firework to wake me up."

"Of course, sir."

So the captain went to sleep. It was around 11 PM when someone popped onto his stomach. He startled awake but recognized the scent of that person immediately.

"You're back early." He said to the red head on top of him.  
"I couldn't miss celebrate the new year with you, Steve." Natasha replied and leaned down to kiss him, "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"You don't really mean it when you say you want to sleep through the year, do you?"

"Now that you are here with me, I don't really mean it."

The spy smiled, "Get up, soldier. We will watch the firework together."

They moved to the sofa nearby the window and cuddled up. Natasha rested her head on his chest and inhaled his scent deeply.  _She was home_.

"How was the mission?" He asked, "I take it that it was really easy that you can come home to me early."

Nat nuzzled her head to his neck, "Not that hard. I had more motivation to finish this job early so I could spend tonight with you."

"And it also the first time you came back without a scratch."

"I can fend for myself."

"I know it, darling." He smiled and kissed the top of her head, "I know better than anybody else."

"20 seconds to the New Year." JARVIS announced, interrupted the conversation.

They looked out the window and counted the second out loud. The firework erupted in the sky everywhere and from the top of the Avengers Tower, it was the most beautiful view.

"Happy New Year, baby." Natasha whispered.  
"Happy New Year to you too, darling" Steve kissed her passionately.

She pulled away from him, "I also have a little gift for you, Steve." The spy reached out for a box in her jacket and handed to Steve.

He was a little confuse and slowly opened it to find a plastic stick—a pregnancy test stick with a plus sign. He looked up at her, eyes widened. Natasha smiled at his reaction.

"You mean…we….we're having a baby?"

"Yes"

He bursted into laughter of pure happiness before lunging forward to kiss her and pulled Natasha onto his laps.

"Are you sure?" He asked, "I mean, the test can make a mistake. Like the last time Pepper did."

"Let's have JARVIS make a quick scan."

"Yes, ma'am"

JARVIS scanned her body and calculated everything. He stated that his diagnose was only 80% accurate.

"Don't worry, J. I will have Dr. Banner check again when he came back."

"Yes, ma'am" The AI said, "It is highly likely that Agent Romanoff is pregnant."

They both smiled and kissed each other again, knowing that this was the most wonderful time of their life and they finally got a chance to have what they both always want.

_Their first child_

"Thank you, darling." He whispered, "You're the best thing that ever happen to me and now you have the little miracle of our inside you. I don't think I could love you more than I already was but I did love you more and more everyday that we are together. I love you so much, Natasha Romanoff."

"I love you so freaking much too, Steve Rogers."

"Now that you have my child. Will you marry me for real this time?"  
"Yes"


	11. Water & Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a part of Romanogers Appreciation week.

Once they discovered that Natasha was pregnant, Bruce immediately told them that one of them needed to remain calm. Both of them couldn't freak out at the same time. Or to be specific,

"Steve, you should be water or ice to when Natasha is a fire."

"I'm not going to have hormone frenzies, Bruce. I have better control than that." Nat said and shrugged her shoulders as she was lying on bed while JARVIS running a scan on her body, "I'm not going to be like Pepper when she was pregnant with little Anthony."

"You also have to take it easy, Natasha. Even you are just 2 months pregnant."

"I'm not going to dial down anything!" Natasha announced, "It's only 2 months and I think I could at least go on a few mission before I actually dialed down."

And that was the beginning of the debate between the doctor and the spy. Natasha gave a lot of reasons that she should be working or at least working out with her husband. It will keep her health and made the baby strong. Bruce told her that she was in a delicate condition and being pregnant will make her feel vulnerable than she ever was.

"That's the reason why I should go in the field with my husband."

Bruce sighed and turned to Steve for some help, "Steve, maybe you can talk some sense into your wife."

Steve was rubbing the nape of his neck, fully knowing that he had only 20% chance that she might actually listen to him, "One last mission and I get to choose it."

"Deal! But make it two weeks mission alright, hubby?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully at him.

Bruce could only not in agreement to have this conversation ended as fast as he could. The doctor rarely won an argument with Natasha. She listened to him only when she felt the need to comply. All Bruce could see was that this relationship is a married life between a cat, which was Natasha, and a giant puppy dog, which was Steve Rogers.

The couple left the room but the doctor kept his eyes on them. Steve stuck close to her, worrying that anything might happen to her even he knew she could handle any threat quicker than him.

Despite Natasha insisting that she would continue with her exercise, she surprised Steve the next morning that she wanted to go for a walk in the park instead of their usual morning run.

"Just feel a bit lazy. That's all."

That was a lie but Steve seemed to okay with it. Natasha knew Steve was okay with the idea of her doing heavy activity while she was pregnant with their children but he wasn't saying any of his concern because of her. He only wanted what's make her happy.

The couple walked a steady pace in the park and took in the moment together, savoring the peaceful moment before they had to go back to their professional life.

"Do we have any mission today?" She asked.

"An easy recon mission. That's all." Steve replied and handed her a bottle of water, "Drink up, darling. Keep your body hydrates. You're doing everything for two now."

"Someone has been reading pregnancy book…" She teased.

"I never been a parent before so I'm kinda excited about it."

"Do you sign us up for any parenting class yet?"

"Nat, you know we need…."

"Do you have any shopping list for our baby yet? I want to go for a shopping tomorrow. Gosh! My hormone is ragging right now because I never ever wanted to go to the shopping mall."

"Natasha, you miss the point…"

"Do you already plan the baby shower with Pepper?"

"Nat…"

"Damn it, Rogers. You already have Tony designing the nursery without me?"

"…"

"I gotta go talk to Bruce and Tony about designing a new security system to install in our baby nursery!"

Natasha went on and on to tease him and put Steve Rogers in his place. Steve could only sigh and thought to himself. Well, this will be one hell of a ride for them. Water and Fire, right? Apparently he had to be both.


	12. Jealousy is never good for any relationship.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a part of Romanogers Appreciation week.

Since everyone was moving back to New York, the Avengers knew their vacation was over. SHEILD was no more. Chaos ensured and it was up to them to save the world and bring peace back.

The membership was now expanded. Sam and Rhodey were part of the team while Maria maintained her cover in Stark Industries and helped Pepper running the company while secretly helping the team too. Natasha couldn't resume her cover as Natalie Rushman anymore as all of her covers were out in public so she was a full time Avengers now.

Tony and Steve decided to divide the team into two. Steve will lead the stealth team consisted of Natasha, Clint, Sam, and Bucky. The second team will serve as their back up and the heavy hitter/assault team leading by both Tony and Steve.

Steve thought to himself that it wasn't hard for him at all. He could do it, leading people into battlefield, protecting this country from tyrant and super villain.

But things could go wrong in every possible way it could. Even the childish one like jealousy.

So what could a childish thing like jealous made everything when down straight to hell especially when they were teammates. They were parts of the Avengers, the Earth mightiest heroes, under the leader like Captain America. They were deadly, lethal and worked perfectly together.

Clint Barton, the master archer, the great mask man alive, former agent of SHEILD, and a longtime partner of Natasha Romanoff. Clint was the best at what he did. He kept his eyes on his teammates and watched their backs. He saw the upcoming threat and eliminates it before it got to his friends. Steve witnessed it first handed when the captain was busying battling a group of terrorists and didn't notice the sniper above him. Clint took the sniper out before he was even in the position to shoot Steve.

Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff.

Steve has to admit that he was very fond of the red head spy. After what they had been through together during the fall of SHIELD, he thought that he will ask her to stay but it would be selfish to do that to her. She needed time so he let her go. When she came back, he acted on his feeling and told her how he feel. He didn't expect her to say anything back because he just wanted to let her know.

But Natasha reciprocated and kissed him.

They were dating for two months now and no one knew it except from Bucky who knew both of the spy and soldier all too well. They kept it a secret and tried to pretend there was nothing going on.

And what made the Captain regret his decision of agreeing to keep this relationship in the dark?

It happened on the day they went for the mission. It was an easy, in and out mission. Nothing could go wrong with the best of the best doing this job. They were on the quinjet together on their way to the destination. Natasha and Clint were piloting the plane in the cockpit while Sam, Steve, and Bucky were studying and going over the plan on more time.

Then Steve heard the giggling from the cockpit and then it was Natasha and Clint's banter. Even he was dating Natasha secretly, even they were close, even they…loved each other but there was something that kept them apart. Something that Steve couldn't replace in her life.

Clint Barton.

There was always Clint Barton in between the two of them. She usually woke up in the odd hour to pick the call from the archer. She wasn't reluctant to get up from their bed and went out to help Clint. Sometime, they were enjoying their private time but then Clint interrupted with a mission. Steve was okay with it at first but he started to hate when Natasha left at night to go with the archer.

He was a reasonable man but he couldn't always control his jealousy.

_Did she still have feeling for Clint?_

"After this we should fondue!" Clint spoke up.

"You always want something cheesy after a mission, Barton."

The conversation had Steve's mind went on overdrive. Even he knew the true meaning of fondue but to be frank, he had this word and Natasha knew that he thought that fondue means having sex.  _Did she use this as a code or something?_

God! He should stop thinking right now. He needed to clear his head.

When the jet landed near by the location, Steve suddenly changed the plan and had Nat with him to hold the ground and looked out for the infiltration team. Bucky and Clint opposed to this but Steve used his commanding voice to silent them.

His jealousy got the better of him and he had to keep Natasha near him. He will not let her going anywhere near the archer.

"What the hell, Steve?" She hissed at him, obviously angry.

He didn't reply and turn away from her. Nat pulled him back to stop him from walking away.

"Don't fucking turn your back on me when I talk to you" She raised her voice, "Care to explain why the hell you change the plan."

"Barnes and Barton could take care of the infiltration without you."

"That's not the reason and don't you dare trying to lie because I know you!"

"Hey, both of you keep the voice down and pay attention to the job" Bucky said through the com but Steve and Nat turned it off at the same time and resumed with their argument.

"You just jeopardize this whole operation, Captain."

"You're overstating it"

BOOM!

The bomb went off at the south west corner and suddenly bullet flew everywhere and Steve quickly grabbed Nat and they both took cover behind his shield.

"Cap, it's a trap." Sam reported and covered them from the sky.

"No, I tripped on the alarm." Clint said, "Sorry, guys."

"Get the hell out of there and met up at the quinjet." Steve gave his ordered and started attacking the incoming enemy that quickly engaging them, "Nat, go with Clint and Bucky! I will hold them off!"

"No, not without you!"

"Natasha…"

But she didn't do as he said and helped him took down the enemy. Clint yelled through their coms that he got the plane up in the air now. Steve turned to look at his girlfriend.

"Time to go."

She nodded and shot down one last enemy but as she turned toward to exit. Someone fire the gun and it went through her right upper arm. Steve threw his shield to knock the shooter off the roof then he carried Natasha to meet up with Clint at the rendezvous area.

Steve patched her up but Natasha wasn't saying anything to him at all or not even looking at him. The couple was in a complete silence that Sam had to join Bucky and Clint in the cockpit because he couldn't stand the awkward situation.

They didn't talk. Natasha was clearly avoiding him and Steve sunk into his own guilty because if he didn't change the plan, Natasha wouldn't be hurt. She would finish the job and she wouldn't be injured. It was all his fault. It was all his fault.

Steve couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"For god sake's, you two should talk." Bucky cried out when he saw his friends avoiding each other.

Nat threw him a dagger glare and Bucky turned away. Steve looked at her sheepishly and he was the one spoke up first, "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." She waved him off.

Steve knelt down in front of her, placing his hand at either side of the armrest, "Natasha, I'm sorry for getting you hurt." He said, willing to drop his pride and ego.

His heart sunk when she didn't even notice him. She resented him and Steve felt worse than he already was.

"Natasha…"

"Steve, I don't know what I did to you…"

"No...No…it's me and my jealousy. I'm sorry for causing you trouble and I am fully understand that if you don't want to talk to me again and end this relationship."

"Steve, shut up."

Steve did as she said and looking away from her. Natasha raised her hands to touch his cheeks and force him to meet her eyes.

"What is it that bothering you?"

"You and Clint." Her eyes widened at his answer and Steve quickly explained to her, "I mean…we're in the relationship. We love each other. You and Clint are close but…"

"You think we still have feeling for each other?"

"Yeah…" He broke the eyes contact, feeling ashamed.

"Clint is my best friend. Yes, we were dating for a while but it turned out that we are better off being friends." She replied and cupped his cheeks, "Don't worry about Clint and I again. Especially not getting jealous all the time Clint asked me to eat fondue with him. She teased.

Steve chuckled, "I hate that word."

"Do you wanna join us too?"

"Nah, I think you two need sometime alone as friend. Bucky and Sam probably force me to cook dinner for them." He replied. Steve looked around to see that no one was watching them before he leaned in for a kiss, "Have fun tonight and I love you."

"Love you too."

"So we're good now."

"Yeah."

They had another quick kiss and smiled to each other.

"About damn time!" Sam yelled through the com and the couple realized that they still turned on their com and everyone in the plane now knew that they were dating.

"I totally see this coming." Clint added, "You still have fondue with me, right?"

"Yeah."

Steve couldn't contain his smile and kissed Natasha again.


	13. The Time Natasha make breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual content ahead.  
> (Prompt by ice326)

Steve was pretty sore from his solo mission yesterday, not to mention the passionate love making he had with his girlfriend. Even he insisted it was an easy mission, in and out without any hitch, she was still worry about him.

But the warmth of her body that he kept close was gone. Steve rubbed his eyes and couldn't find her in bed with him but he could smell bacons and sausages from the kitchen. The smell was so nice that his stomach began to rumble.

Steve slid off his bed and grabbed his sweat pants. He as quiet as possible into the kitchen to find his girl was cooking, loosely wearing nothing but only his dress shirt. He came to hug Natasha from behind, kissing her neck. His morning stable tickled her skin, causing Natasha to giggle and melt into his embrace.

"Morning." He murmured against her skin.

Natasha turned and pecked a kiss on his lips, "Morning, babe."

Steve pulled her all the more closer to him. He missed having her in his arms. It was so addictive and he couldn't get enough of it. His hands smoothly slid into her shirt and moved across her toned stomach and pressed his lips hard to her neck.

"Stop it, Rogers." She warned, "I have to eat something before we do it again."

He chuckled but didn't stop, "I miss you."

"Don't be such a baby, soldier." She teased, "It was just 30 minutes."

"You know how I love having you near me every chance I have."

He kissed her neck one last tome before letting her go. Steve walked to the fridge to get the orange and milk out. Then the Captain proceeded to help his girlfriends setting up everything in the tray.

"You know I was thinking about serving you a breakfast in bed." Natasha spoke up.

"Awwww, that's what I should do for you."

"You always slept in lately, baby."

"I can say that it was all because of you, darling."

Natasha chuckled and put the last pancake on the plate then she ordered Steve to carry the tray to the couch in the living room because she want to sat comfortably while eating their breakfast. To be honest, they rarely had time to finish assembling their furniture they purchased three weeks ago. The couch was the only furniture that they assembled together so far. Natasha decided that they should have their own apartment so they could get away from prying eyes in Stark Tower (AKA Tony and Clint).

She took him to IKEA and that was a long story. The short version, they had a good time and they did some quality test on the sample, heavily making out until the staff had to shush them.

They always went on a mission and didn't get the chance to assemble the dining room furniture yet. Steve finished with the table but they broke it into pieces three days ago because things was getting a little heated and Steve wanted to taste the quality of the furniture.

Anyway, the real reason that she wanted to sit on the couch was that she had something in her brilliant mind that her boyfriend couldn't follow, sometimes. She had been planning this since she woke up.

Steve sat down on the couch and Natasha quickly straddled him. Steve froze, waiting to see what she was about to do but one thing that he knew was that it will be good.

Nat pecked his lips before pulling away almost immediately, leaving Steve wanting more. He was about to follow but she slid off his laps and grabbed her breakfast.

"Why you always start what you can't finish, Romanoff?" He mocked annoy, rolling his eyes

"I will finish it alright, Rogers." She replied. "Just finish your breakfast."

He raised his brow and sat her dish down on the coffee table. Nat looked at him, calculating his next move and the result was as expected. He pinned her down on the couch, trapping her under his large frame.

"What do you think you are doing, Rogers?"

He gave her the boyish grin that she loved. "Having my breakfast."

Before Natasha could recover with a witty retort, Steve captured her mouth with his tongue darting in to met hers. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him all the more closer to her. Natasha moaned into their kisses, only to fuel Steve's desire for her. His tongue ran over her lips, tasting the sweetness that he was so addicted.

"Jesus, Nat…" He gasped when he pulled away. "You're irresistible."

Nat huffed a laugh but a laugh turned into a gasp when his teeth laced on the skin of her neck, biting the soft flesh. His hands undid the first three buttons, parting the shirt so he could moved his lips toward her collarbones and cleavage. She was wearing nothing underneath the white shirt and it turned Steve on even more.

He was a gentleman but he was still just a man. He couldn't resist when his girl had nothing else but something belonged to him covered her naked body.

She was all of his fantasy and deepest desire.

"Steve…" Nat moaned when his mouth sucking on the her hard nipple while two fingers lightly tugging on the other. Her fibers raked through his blond locks, pulling at it hard when she felt his teeth dragging on her swollen nipple.

She wrapped her legs around him, digging her heels into the small of his back as he assaulted her breasts. Then the pleasure was moving to somewhere else, following where his mouth was going. He didn't bother to take off her shirt. Of course, he would rather have it on. It fed his male pride. Even he was Captain America, the golden poster boy, all round goodness but he was indeed a total caveman when it came to this sort of thing.

His lips trailed down to her toned stomach and Natasha's hands quickly went to stop him. She grabbed his jaws and forced him to look up at her, seeing her plain quietly. He knew what that mean but his eyes had nothing but love and adoration that made her cold heart melt. Even they were doing this for sometime now, Natasha still wasn't use to this—Steve seeing her scars while they were making love. She thought it would ruin the mood for him. The flaws that she had and all the imperfection that would remind him of what she used to be. The disgusting past of hers.

Steve smiled brightly at her, pinning her wrists at her side before continued kissing his way down to the scar on her left hips. The one that she revealed it to him at the hospital. His lips brushed it and he could feel Natasha inhaled sharply and struggling to free her wrists.

"I love you." He whispered on the scar before his hot lips gave a loving kiss on it as if it was her mouth. "All of you."

Nat couldn't find the word to say but the one thing she knew and she never had a doubt. Steve saw her for who she really was and loved all of her. There was nothing to fear or nothing to be ashamed of. He accepted her past and helping her cope, reminding her everyday that she was worthy for everything in this world.

She wasn't a heartless assassin the Red Room made her.

Tears slipped down from the corner of her eyes and her hand clasped on her mouth to hold back a sob. She didn't want to ruin it by becoming to emotional but the man on top of her made it hard every time he say all of those sweet words.

He moved up so his face was above her. Steve smiled again and pulled her hand away. "You supposed to smile not crying, Nat." He teased. "Damnit, I'm trying to cheer you up hear."

"Shut up, your'e ruining the mood."

"Yes, ma'am"

He gave a loving kiss and all Natasha could say to him was, "Make love to me."

Steve was more than willing to do as she told. He pulled his sweatpants off, revealing the hard erection and positioning himself between her welcoming opening legs. her eyes were half-lidded when she looked back up at him, waiting for him to complete her. Steve pulled both of her legs up and let it settle on his shoulders. His hands wrapped gently around her ankles as if he was afraid to hurt her. He didn't think of Natasha as a small woman, but her ankles felt impossibly delicate under his hands. He turned his head and kissed her ankle bone.

"Steve…please…"

Steve slowly pushed himself in. She had to bite on her bottom lip, but a quiet moan still escaped her. He filled her up, large and satisfying in a way that no one could compare. But her little moans did a thing to him, judging but the way that Steve's hands tightened on her legs, just a gentle flex of his fingers, made her want to make more sounds just to spike him.

She rocked with him in perfect rhythm, feeling his thick cock sliding in and out of her, covering with her arousal. "Baby," she breathed and Steve groaned with overwhelmed helplessness from fighting the primal urge to fuck her senseless the way the usually do. Instead, he slowly increased his pace, making sure that she was adjusting to his huge shaft. Steadily taking them both higher, his eyes never left her as they making love and when she opened her eyes, only to find Steve looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Steve throws his head back as she gyrating her hips, taking him as deep as she could to increase pleasure, making them both moan in pure ecstasy. He threw his full weight on top of her, snapping his hips against her harder each time, knowing that she was close. His hand moved down between her legs and began to works on her clit frantically, getting closer and closer by each stroke of his fingers. She doesn't bat him away and let his solid, skilled fingers pleasure her.

"Baby!" Natasha climaxed, her body tensing, near-painful shivers of pleasure burning through every cell. Her wall convulsed around him, milking his cock and Steve couldn't hold back anymore. His head threw back. His cry filled the air, and Natasha pulled him down for a kiss him, swallowing the sound of their climax against her lips as his cock continued to fuck her towards their orgasm. He exploded inside her, filling her up to the brim.

They stayed still until their orgasm subsided and Natasha clung tightly to her boyfriend. Steve peppered kissed all over the skin he could find, whispering how much her love her.

"Stop it."

"Why? I love you." He sucked on her neck on more time before looking into her eyes. "You mean, I should stop saying 'I love you' or stop loving you."

"Oh god! No." She said. "You can't do that."

Steve laughed. "Thank god." He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too.


	14. Courage

Steve and Natasha was on their way to their honeymoon. Tony was very generous about this. He offered them his private jet and his beach house in Fiji. Steve will spend a full one month with Natasha. Tony and Clint said that the Avenges could survive without Captain America and Black Widow but the newlywed couple highly doubted that.

Bruce and Pepper assured them that they will keep Tony, Clint, and Thor in check and not doing anything to tear this tower apart. Natasha finally relaxed and started to pack her back after the 'adults' of this tower gave them the promise.

"We trust you." Nat said again, "I don't wanna come back to find that I'm homeless and Steve and I will have to find a new home."

Steve took a very long time to convince his wife that nothing will happen to the tower. Finally, Natasha was able to rest her worry of leaving the children alone at home and climbed inside the limo with her husband.

"You don't have to worry, darling." Steve reassured her as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder, pulling her closer to his body, "Everything will be fine without us."

"Are you seriously believe that?" She asked back, looking to see his baby blue eyes shining with love and adoration, "Stop looking at me like that, husband."

"You're so beautiful." He said as he traced his thumb over her cheek, "Why am I so lucky to have you?"

"Because I love you and I choose only you." Natasha replied, "Under this sky, I have only you."

Steve smiled, "Under this sky, I would follow you everywhere and I thank god every day that I have the courage to ask you out."

Natasha too was smiling when she recalled that beautiful memory, "20 seconds of courage."

"20 seconds is all I need."

* * *

Steve Rogers was a man with a heart of Vibranium. He never fear of anything, never terrify of anything. In his post-serum body, he literally could do anything and everything he want but somehow, asking a girl out was still pretty terrifying.

"I cannot do this" Steve said as he quickly turned back and headed to the opposite direction, "She's not even like me that way."

Tony forced Steve to stop walking away, "Come on, Capsicle!" The billionaire sighed, "She's not gonna bite you."

"The worst thing that could happen is she shot you down" Clint cheered, "Or she really shoot you across face."

"Thanks, Birdbrain" Tony rolled his eyes "Cap, it is very obvious for everyone to see that she kinda like you more than any of us."

"Yeah, I'm agree with Shell Head" Clint said, "She's kinder to you than the rest of us and she seems to spend a lot of time with you."

"Spend a lot of time with me because I'm the only one who doesn't always tease her or nagging her." Steve said, "I don't know, guys. She looks rather busy today. I will ask her tomorrow" And with that the Captain ran away to the opposite direction.

Steve continued to avoid asking Natasha out for a week and the spy picked it up real fast that he was also avoided spending time with her too. She was the spy after all so nothing could slipped pass her observance eyes. She asked Clint and Sam about this but no one told her anything. They only said that Steve was acting normal around them.

Another week had passed and Natasha seemed to crack. That night after Steve was gone on a mission with Bucky and Sam for three days, she broke into his room only to find the injured Captain trying to get out of his uniform without causing any more pain to himself.

"Care to explain of why are you avoiding me, Steve?" She spoke up.

"I'm fine and alive. Thank you for asking." He shot back, "How are you doing today?"

"I don't have time for the banters, Rogers." Natasha was about to lose her cool any moment. She wasn't the person who lost it easily but the certain star spangles man always had his way to do this to her, "What is wrong with you? Am I done something wrong and make you mad at me?"

"Nat, if you could just help me stitch up all these wounds, I will answer every question you wanna know." He bargained and looked into her eyes for the first time in many days.

Natasha sighed and moved closer to peel the uniform out of his battered body. She saw countless scratch and opened wounds. Blood bled from the cuts on his chest that made Nat quickly cleaned it off and stitched it up. She sewed up every big gashes and let him took a shower first. Finally, the soldier emerged from the bathroom.

"Okay, what you wanna talk about?" He asked.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm certain that I'm not avoiding you. We just didn't have time to hang out. You took a 3 days mission last week." He explained.

"Rogers, I'm not that stupid and I can tell the different between don't have time and avoiding to spend some time with me."

Steve took a deep breath. He saw no way out of this when Natasha was so adamant to get an answer from him. He could tell that she was gauging between beating the shit out of him to get the answer or to keep her cool until he answered her.

His mind was began to form a series of word in English language that he could find during the time of pressure like this. He then remembered the conversation he had with Sam and Bucky about asking Natasha out.

_"Just ask her directly, cap._ _" Sam said._

_"You_ _'re fucking stupid, Rogers._ _" Bucky laughed,_ _"You are not fear of fighting but fear of asking a girl out!_ _"_

_"That_ _'s not helping, Buck._ _" Steve scolded._

_"Well, if you need something useful_ _…just gather your courage and use all of it within 20 seconds to tell her everything_ _…the worst scenario is that she shot you down._ _"_

Steve took another deep breath again.  _20 seconds. 20 seconds!_

"I was thinking about asking you out on a date." He blurted it out and saw a shocking look on her face but he didn't let it bother him and continued to explain, "It's been going on for a while now bit I'm too scared to really ask you so I just trying to avoid you. I was thinking of how I should ask you. I want to take you out on a date, dancing, doing all the cliché thing they did in rom com movie you make me watch. I was kinda had a vision of doing those things with you every time we watched it."

His 20 seconds of courage was up and now he only waited for the consequence of his stupidity. Natasha remained quiet for a good one minute trying to find the right answer.

"How long?"

"Since the day we first met on the helicarrier." He replied with fainted blush on his cheeks, "It was stupid...really…I mean… love at first sight. After SHIELD fall and we had to part away, I was kinda wanted to ask you to stay but I figured it out that it would be better of both of us got thing figured it out first."

"Shut up, Rogers."

"What?"  
"Shut up."

Steve pressed his lips tight to stop himself from making her angry. He felt a little humiliate because he was sure that she will turn him down any minutes now. Even after the serum, he still had no luck with the ladies and he screwed up this one the most by risking their friendship.

Natasha stepped closer but never took her eyes off him. Then Steve felt her soft lips pressing up against his lips. He went still for 5 seconds before he could process of what is going on. Shit! She kissed him! Steve finally moved his lips with her and his arms went around her and pulled her closer to him.

"For the record, dummy" She stated after she backed away from him for a little, "I would love to go out on a date with you too."

Steve smiled against her lips, "I thought you will say no."

"Well, I kinda wanna go out with you too."

They both smiled and pressed their lips together again. It wasn't so bad in Steve's mind. Bucky's advice worked and now he only wait for their date and see how they will work out together.

* * *

"So how was that paid out?" She asked.

"I'm glad that I have a courage enough to ask you that day" Steve replied "Because all the best thing in my life happen after that"

"You don't have to get through all that trouble. You could just ask me frankly because you know you can always talk to me."

"I know."

"So…I never asked you this but…how do you gather all the courage to ask me out that day?"

Steve smiled mischievously, "It was an adrenaline rush that was left over from the fight." Nat smacked his arm hard and Steve yelped, "It was an adrenaline rush combined with how much it hurt me to keep my distance from you and how much I want to be with you."

"Awww"

"I love you so much."

"I love you too, Steve Rogers."


	15. Rich Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insipred by Rich Love from OneRepublic
> 
> No beta

After all the shenanigan with Sokovia Accord ended. Steve took Bucky to Wakanda. T’challa promised he would help shelter him here. Wakanda technology could fix whatever Hydra put in his head.

Then Steve proceeded to break every member of his team from the Raft and insisted that they all should come with him to Wakanda for their safety.

“Are you sure this is the best thing to do?” Clint asked. “We are fugitive and we only bring bad news to T’Challa.”

“I gotta side with Birdbrain here.” Sam said. “I think we should go separate way for now.”

“Fine.” Steve replied. “But at least we should go in pair.”

Clint and Wanda decided to go together. Hawkeye had safe house somewhere in the Northern part of Scotland where no one would find them. Sam and Scott didn’t know where they should go yet so Steve offered them one of the safehouse he had in Algier.

After Steve dropped all of his teammates, he went looking for the last one. Natasha. Because of her help, she was now a fugitive too, running from government. He owed her and he needed to find her before someone else did.

Well, he spent a whole month trying to locate her all over Europe or at least finding a mean to contact her. He should know it was a futile effort to do it. She was too damn good at her job, covering up all of her track.

He was now hiding in the Tuscany countryside for three months and the only woman he saw on daily basis was the old lady, Donatella, who let him stay at her guest house in exchange for working in her olive grove. She was nice to him and her home cooked italian food was marvelous.

Steve went for a supply run for Donna. By now he was fluent in speaking italian and the longer he stayed, he will likely blend in perfectly. He was picking up food from local market and getting everything onto the mini pickup truck.

“Ho sentito dal Clint che mi stai cercando.”

A familiar voice sounded behind him. Steve quickly turned around and saw the red haired woman he had been looking for. She smiled brightly at him and chuckled. Steve couldn’t find a word to say and he realized now that his jaw was probably hitting the floor right now.

“Where have you been?” He asked. “I have been looking for you for months. Do you know I was worry that they might capture you?”

“Aww, it's cute that you are worried about me.” She teased. Those beautiful green eyes sparkled in the way he remembered. Oh how he missed looking into those pool of emerald and tried to figure out what she was thinking.

Before Steve knew what he was doing, he pulled her closer and kissed her on the lips. Natasha’s eyes widened but leaned in and kissed him back anyway.

“Took you long enough, Rogers.” She whispered when they parted.

Steve was expected a punch but she smiled back at him.

“Hope you don’t mind. I don’t want to wait any longer for someone who share life experience.”

“I don’t mind.”

Steve took her back to Donna’s olive grove. She noted that he picked a perfect cover and a good place to hide. Steve introduced Nat to the old lady as his wife who just came back from France. Nat gave her a fake French name and she thought Donna believe it.

“You know we cannot stay here forever?” She asked.

“I don’t want to leave her alone.” Steve replied. “Besides, this place is nice and I have only 200 euros left.”

Natasha laughed. “How can you survive this long? And don’t tell me this is the reason you don’t move?”

“Well, I spend all my cash trying to find you for a whole month. I cannot use card so…”

“Aww, you are cute thinking you can find me.” She teased. “But we have to move, Rogers. You don’t want to bring danger to her, right?”

“Do you have a plan?”

“I will figure something out.”

****

  
Natasha came up with a plan in two days. She ordered him to keep his bread and kept his long hair. It would be a perfect disguise. Nat dried her hair blond, to Steve’s protest. She got them a passport and document for them to enter Croatia without any suspicion.

“Stjepan and Natalija Kovačević? It isn’t exactly hiding our real name, is it?”

“Hide in plain sight, dear.”

They said goodbye to Donna and began to travel North East to Venice where she will get them some cash and supply and a speedboat for them to enter the country.

“You mean we’re stealing this speedboat?” He asked.

“We borrowed it.”

Steve smiled and got everything on the boat. Natasha took the speedboat out in the middle of the night. The next morning they docked at a small town called Rovinj and got a car from one of her spy friend.

“I have a safe house in a small village called Mali Ston. No one will find use there. It’s a very remote area. The cash I have will last us a couple of month but after that we gotta find some jobs.”

“Of course.”

  
******

They arrived at the quaint little village which Steve thought it couldn’t be more than 200 people here. Their house was at the far side of the village. Many people looked at them as they moved into their house.

Natasha put on her mask and turned to greet her neighbor in a perfect croatian accent. She later told him that they never saw their faces before and she told them they just moved from Zagreb a quiet life.

“I have to learn to fake out better than this.” He said once they got inside the house and away from the prying eyes of the neighbors. “You have to teach me the language stat.”

“Well, I told them that my husband grew up in Italy with his grandmother, Donna, in Tuscany. So they will let you slightly off the hook. And you don’t have to worry about a job. That old couple was an owner of an oyster farm and they needed a strong young man like you to help them.”

Steve smiled fondly and pulled her closer. “How in the world that I find the most perfect woman in the universe?”

She scoffed and poked his chest. “I still not let you off the hook about Sharon.”

His smile faded. Blue eyes looked at her with the seriousness and guilt. “How can I make up to you?” His hands moved up to cup her face.

Her eyebrows quirked up as her hands slid down his body and to the back of his jeans.

“You can put that mouth and tongue for a good use.”

Steve smiled. A shard of red graced his cheeks. They did this for so many time and he still blushed every damn time she talked dirty to him.

“Yes, ma’am.”

*****

  
The couple quickly blended in. Steve picked up the language rather fast and no one suspected or remembered them as a wanted fugitive. Steve worked in the oyster farm and local fish boat while Nat worked in a restaurant nearby. They didn’t get paid much but it was enough. The food was bountiful in this area and they could walked up the beach and forage for food.

Steve said they should keep her cash in case of emergency or if they needed to relocate again. But so far, they did great on their current job. Marco and Ana were an old couple who owned the oyster farm. They gave Steve and Nat extra job as their housekeeper and gardener.

“Hey, what you got for today?” Nat asked as she saw Steve walked into the house.

Steve tossed his hat on the sofa and walked toward his ‘wife’, giving her a loving kiss before presented her with a basket.

“Marco took two tourist group out for an oyster testing and he let me keep the leftover white wine, bread, and I caught two fishes on the way back.”

“Nice. Ivana gave me some mussels and clams too.”

“We got ourselves a dinner, babe.”

“You cook. I will set the table.”

Steve went into the kitchen and prepared their food. Natasha used a water bucket to chill white wine that her husband got. She brought candles out and lid it at the patio, setting the scene for tonight’s romantic dinner.

Finally, Steve brought out food that smell so nice. They sat down and enjoyed the food and wine, contemplating on how broke they were right now. It wasn’t exactly hard for them to live like this. Steve grew up during war time and his family was poor. Natasha experienced the same thing as him but under different circumstance.

It was a life of a fugitive and this was the price they had to pay.

“Do you regret helping me that day?” Steve asked. “If you didn’t help me and Bucky, you will be a free woman, living life in a better place than this.”

She looked at him. “I don’t regret any of it, Steve. And besides, this place is paradise and I have you with me. It was hard being on the run and have to look over your shoulder all the time but if we are in this together, I don’t regret.”

“Glad to hear.”

“Why do you bring this up all of the sudden?”

“I don’t know...I feel like I’m dragging you down with me.”

“You’re not dragging me down, silly. I love you and we are going to get through this together.”

Steve smiled broke out when he heard those three words. “You...you say it.”

“What? I love you? Yes, I love you, you dumb ass.” Nat rolled her eyes.

“I love you too.”

Nat got up and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I love you, Steve Rogers. Even if we’re broke as hell like this, I still want to be with you. Because you is enough for me.”

“You is enough for me too.”

 


	16. No Vacancy

The life in Mali Ston was perfect. Steve and Natasha had been living here for almost a year now, completely left their superhero life behind. The village held a wedding ceremony for them after Steve told Marko that they never really had the real wedding ceremony, they just went to city hall to get the paperwork done.

It was absolutely beautiful. Everyone in the village helped them prepare for this wedding. (Everyone knew how ‘broke’ they were.) The women made Natasha a white wedding dress while Steve wore his white linen shirt. The candle path led them to a small cove of beach. A priest from the local chapel officiated the wedding.

Steve put his mother wedding on her finger, a replacement for their fake wedding ring.

The reception was fun and colorful. Music was playing all night. Best wine flow and food never short on the table. The married couple danced all night with everyone and when it ended, Steve had to carry his wife back to their home.

“I guess I can call you Mrs. Rogers now.” He joked as he placed her on their bed.

“It’s Mrs. Kovačević.” She corrected.

Steve laughed. “I guess I have to marry you again when this is all over and we’re not the fugitive anymore.”

Nat cupped his face so he could look at her. Steve noticed something in her eyes.

“Our life here is already perfect, Steve.” She said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

“You don’t want to go back?” He was surprised when she said that.

“I’m done with the fight. We did everything we can to protect this world and now it is our turn to enjoy the normal life. We deserved this happiness.”

Steve gave her a warm smile and kissed her deeply. “Yes, we are. And I’m the happiest man on Earth now.”

Steve decided in that moment, no more doubt, no more fear, only certainty in his heart. If she was willing to let everything go, so did her.

  
  


* * *

 

 

So they continued to live in Mali Ston. Everyday was perfect. They were as happy as they could ever be. The life as an Avengers began to fade from their memories. Only here and now was what important to them. Steve loved his job being the fisherman and taking the tourist out to taste fresh oyster with Marko. Nat loved her time working at the local restaurant.

Life here was perfect and they never asked for more. 

One day, Steve came home go find Natasha was waiting for him. She looked distraught and he knew immediately that something was wrong. He put everything he brought home that day down and rushed to her side.

“What is it, my love?” He asked, becoming alarm.

Her beautiful green eyes filled with tear as she handed him pregnancy test. Steve’s eyes widened when he saw the result. He looked at her as if he was asking for a confirmation.

“Are we…? Are you…?” He stammered still couldn’t comprehend with the rush of emotion. “We...are going to be a parent?”

“Yes, we are.” She replied and threw herself into his embrace.

Steve sure he was crying too at the good news. They held each other there, on the floor, with the pregnancy test still in Steve’s hand. They never thought it would happen. It was something they never dreamed of. Natasha disclosed her condition and how the Red Room trained and done to her body to him. He, of course, supported her and told her that all he needed was her.

But now it actually happened, they didn’t know how but it was a miracle.

Still, good news came with a concern. They started to talk about moving to another place where they could raised their child better than this, where their child will get access to better education and health care. They even considered moving back to New York and asked for a pardon so their child would have a better life and not to suffer consequence of their parents being a fugitive.

In the end, they decided to stay because this place became a big part of their lives. The news of the pregnancy spread throughout the village and everyone congratulated them. Everyone came with gift and that helped them a lot. 

Nine months later, the whole village held the biggest welcome party to their newest member. James Kovačević was borned. The baby was showered with love from the moment he arrived at the village. 

 

* * *

 

 

_ A year later. _

 

Nat was pregnant with their second baby when they heard about invasion from outer space. Then Tony showed up at the door. It turned out he keep tap on them for sometime now. He wanted them to go back.

Steve said no and Tony didn’t understand until Nat came home with baby James and her pregnant body.

“Whatever you’re looking for, Tony? It’s not here anymore.” Steve said as they watched Natasha playing with Baby James. “I will not risk my family for anything else anymore.”

“I understand.” Tony replied. “Keep this with you then.”

Tony handed Steve a brand new Stark phone. Steve took it and praying he will never get a call from anyone.

“And there is something else I wanted to give to both of you.” Iron man said and led Steve out to the car that parked outside their house. Tony opened the trunk, revealing the shield Steve left at the end of their battle and Natasha’s brand new set of weapon including her widow’s bracelets and baton. “I know you two didn’t want to come back but at least you can protect your family with this.”

“Thank you, Tony.”

“Good luck, Cap.” Tony squeezed Steve’s shoulder and began to walk away.

Steve took the gears and closed the trunk, watching Tony drove away. He turned back to his family with a big smile. There was no regret for turning his back to their old lives now that he had Natasha and his children.

 


	17. Slushies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gift for my friend, multi-fandom-crazy-fangirl.

 

“Steve?” Natasha spoke up.

They were lounging around on the couch in the main living area of Stark Tower. Natasha was currently laying on the couch with her head on her boyfriend’s lap. She and Steve had been dating each other for a couple of months now. They still kept it a secret because they knew how their friends would love to pry into their private life.

Steve didn’t mind though but Nat always annoyed when Tony made annoying remark. 

“Hmm?” The soldier was clearly didn’t pay attention as he was busy reading something from his phone.

“It occurs to me that you never tried Slushies before.” She said.

“I heard of them but it sounds like something disgusting.” He replied and got back to read something on his phone.

“Maybe we should go out and get one.” The redhead suggested. “I’m sure no one would notice we slipping out of the tower and leaving our post.”

“By ‘our post’ you mean ‘we are too lazy to go out at first but then you change your mind’?”

She playfully punched his arm. “Has anyone ever tell you that you’re a little shit, Rogers?”

“I’m your little shit, Romanoff.” He replied with a shit eating grin that it always made Natasha leaned in and kissed it away from his face.

“Come on, soldier.” She pulled him off the couch and tried her best to drag him toward the elevator.

Steve chuckled and followed his spy. She threw him their matching leather jacket and tied the red and blue scarf her made for them. They headed downstairs and Natasha led them to her favourite slushies stand. 

They blended in with the crowd. No one noticed the two heroes among them. They looked like a normal couple, enjoying springtime in New York, strolling the street together. Every time they crossed the street, Steve will hold her hand a little tighter or pulled her closer as they shuffled through thick crowd.

Every subtle gesture made Natasha smile. She loved him more and more for it.

When they lined up for the slushies, Steve couldn’t take his hands off her. The soldier held her close, giving her all the affection. Apparently, he didn’t ‘public display of affection’ after all. When she thought about it, the only time they could shower each other with affection was inside their room or outside of Stark Tower like this.

It was nice to keep secret and all but some part of Steve wanted to be able to show their friends that they were together. He hate to see Bruce trying to get back with her or how other male members trying to flirt with her.

“What is it?” She asked when she saw the look on his face.

“It’s nothing.” He lied but she saw right through him.

Natasha looked at him in his blue eyes. “Steve…”

He sighed. “It will sound silly.” The captain said. “We will talk later after we find more private spot than this.”

It left them quiet for the rest of the queuing. Nat was worry of what he might said to her. Their relationship was just beginning, a dedicated state that it could end any moment. They knew each other for a long time but romance was something new for both of them.

Then Nat realized something.  _ Is he going to break up with her? _

Finally, they got the slushies. Nat picked the red one while Steve picked the blue one. He commented that it was delicious than he expected. His hand slipped into her, holding her hand as they walked toward Central Park. Nat smiled when she still felt his affection and pushed her insecurity back.

They sat down at one of the bench overlooking the lake.

“What is it you want to talk?” She asked right away.

“Like I said it will sound silly but…” he paused and turned to look at her directly. “I want us to tell our friends that we are dating.”

“What?”

Steve was visibly nervous. “Uh...I...I hate it when Bruce trying to get you back. I hate it when other members of the team trying to flirt with you. I hate that I can’t hold you in my arms when our friends are around. I know it’s silly but…”   


His rumbling was cut short by Natasha’s lips pressing against him. The spy cupped his face and deepened the kiss. Her tongue slipped in his mouth, meeting with Steve’s. 

“No...No...it’s not silly and you should have told me earlier.” Natasha replied after she pulled away. “I should have ask you instead I just assume that you are okay with this whole ‘keeping our relationship a secret.’”

“So you don’t think it’s silly of me.”

Natasha shook her head. “It’s not silly. If you are not okay with this, we can change that.”

Steve gave her that boyish smile that Natasha loved so much. She leaned into his arms and relaxed as they enjoyed the remaining slushies before heading back to the tower.

  
  


* * *

 

 

The couple walked back to the tower and they found all of their friends in the living room.

“Hi, guys.” Steve greeted.

“Why are your tongues purple?” Tony asked.

“We had slushies. I had a red one.” Nat replied.

“I had a blue one.” Steve added.

“Oh.” The genius nodded and then he realized something. Tony blinked and then looked at Steve and Natasha. Then back to their holding hands. Then back to their faces and matching clothes.

“OH!”


End file.
